{"id":"0b3458c4-51db-4229-bf0e-d3bd6503e097","slug":"dji-autel-fcc-covered-list-2025","kind":"regulatory_action","headline":"FCC added foreign-produced UAS (DJI, Autel) to the Covered List, blocking new US authorizations","summary":"On Dec 22 2025 the FCC added all foreign-produced UAS and UAS critical components to the Covered List, after a National Security Determination (Dec 21 2025) followed an uncompleted NDAA Section 1709 (Countering CCP Drones Act) interagency review by the Dec 23 2025 statutory deadline. Effect: no new FCC authorizations/modifications for covered drones (DJI, Autel); previously authorized models may still be sold; it is a new-authorization block, NOT a use/possession ban. Category-wide (anchored here to the DJI line). Cap-flag: exact FCC docket/order number not confirmed from a .gov primary this pass.","occurredAt":"2025-12-22T12:00:00.000Z","reviewStatus":"reviewed","modelId":"71f36b38-9ec1-42d2-9b89-5ba0aa3c830e","deploymentId":null,"companyId":"a2d812ef-1995-4f49-a947-93c81aade99e","aliases":[],"collisionRisk":"none","reviewNote":null,"severity":"serious","rootCauseCategory":"other","rootCauseDetail":"National-security determination (NDAA 1709) -> FCC Covered List addition; new-authorization block for DJI/Autel (not a safety defect).","affectedUnitsCount":null,"affectedUnitsBasis":"unknown","remediationStatus":"outstanding","regulatoryAction":"suspension","regulatoryBody":"FCC","propertyDamageEstimateUsd":null,"damageEstimateBasis":null,"bodilyInjurySeverity":null,"fatalityCount":null,"lossCostClass":null,"sourceQualityTier":null,"oshaRecordable":null,"oshaCaseNumber":null,"rootCauseDisclosed":null,"publicDisclosureDate":null,"insuranceClaimPublic":null,"createdAt":"2026-06-04T21:33:27.661Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-24T23:33:41.852Z","model":{"id":"71f36b38-9ec1-42d2-9b89-5ba0aa3c830e","companyId":"a2d812ef-1995-4f49-a947-93c81aade99e","modelName":"DJI Mavic 4 Pro","slug":"dji-mavic-4-pro","description":"DJI's 2025 flagship consumer/prosumer camera drone (Hasselblad triple-camera gimbal, 360-degree rotation, extended range and flight time on OcuSync O4+). Announced May 2025. Not officially sold in the United States at launch due to the US import/regulatory situation; available in Europe and other markets.","formFactor":"aerial","industryVertical":null,"environment":"airspace","maturityStage":"production","lifecycleState":"active","supersededByModelId":null,"specs":{"type":"quadcopter","class":"consumer/prosumer","announced":"2025-05-13","transmission":"OcuSync O4+","usAvailability":"not officially sold in US at launch"},"manufacturerSerial":null,"reviewStatus":"reviewed","sources":[{"url":"https://www.dji.com/de/media-center/announcements/dji-release-mavic-4-pro","title":"DJI Mavic 4 Pro official announcement (May 13, 2025)","sourceName":"DJI (official)"},{"url":"https://petapixel.com/2025/05/13/the-dji-mavic-4-pro-wont-be-sold-in-the-us-at-launch/","title":"The DJI Mavic 4 Pro will not be sold in the US at launch (May 13, 2025)","sourceName":"PetaPixel"},{"url":"https://www.dpreview.com/news/7651678140/dji-restricted-us-sales-for-its-mavic-4-pro-drone-but-some-retailers-didnt-get-the-memo","title":"DJI restricted US sales of the Mavic 4 Pro (May 2025)","sourceName":"DPReview"}],"aliases":["Mavic 4 Pro","DJI Mavic 4"],"collisionRisk":"low","reviewNote":null,"manufacturerTermForTeleop":null,"keyFacts":[{"label":"Form factor","value":"aerial"},{"label":"Camera","value":"Hasselblad triple-camera gimbal"},{"label":"Transmission","value":"OcuSync O4+"},{"label":"Announced","value":"2025-05-13"},{"label":"US availability","value":"not officially sold in US at launch"},{"label":"Price","value":"$2,199 (with DJI RC 2 controller)"},{"label":"Availability","value":"Commercial — DJI Store, Amazon, Best Buy"},{"label":"Pricing model","value":"One-time purchase"}],"createdAt":"2026-05-31T03:14:26.536Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-12T04:24:53.360Z","unitsInFieldClaimed":null,"unitsInFieldVerified":null,"unitsManufacturedClaimed":null,"unitsManufacturedVerified":null,"unitsAsOf":null,"unitsSource":null,"salesModel":null,"priceUndisclosedSince":null,"autonomyClass":null,"autonomyStatement":null,"autonomyStatementSource":null,"demoForensics":null,"exportControlClass":null,"minCommitment":null,"warrantyTerms":null,"serviceModel":null,"productionRateClaimed":null,"productionRateEvidenced":null,"teleopRatioDisclosed":null,"interventionRateDisclosed":null},"deployment":null,"company":{"id":"a2d812ef-1995-4f49-a947-93c81aade99e","name":"DJI","slug":"dji","description":"Chinese drone manufacturer (Da-Jiang Innovations), founded 2006 in Shenzhen by Frank Wang (Wang Tao). The dominant global maker of consumer, prosumer, and enterprise camera drones (Mavic, Air, Mini, Matrice lines). Subject to significant US regulatory action since 2024 (FCC Covered List, DoD Section 1260H designation, CBP import scrutiny). Privately held.","status":"private","founded":2006,"hq":"Shenzhen, China","fundingTotal":null,"type":"hardware","reviewStatus":"reviewed","lifecycleState":"active","supersededByCompanyId":null,"sources":[{"url":"https://www.scmp.com/abacus/who-what/what/article/3028241/story-drone-pioneer-dji","title":"The story of drone pioneer DJI (founding and rise)","sourceName":"South China Morning Post"},{"url":"https://dronelife.com/2016/04/22/how-djis-founders-built-a-drone-cluster-city/","title":"How DJI's founders built a drone cluster city (early history) (Apr 22, 2016)","sourceName":"DroneLife"},{"url":"https://www.dji.com/media-center/announcements","title":"DJI official news and product-release announcements (newsroom)","sourceName":"DJI (official)"},{"url":"https://dronelife.com/2025/06/25/dji-drones-us-consumer-market-scarcity-security/","title":"DJI drones face scarcity in the US consumer market; ~77% US share (Jun 25, 2025)","sourceName":"DroneLife"},{"url":"https://www.asisonline.org/security-management-magazine/latest-news/today-in-security/2026/january/DJI-Ban-Ramifications-in-United-States/","title":"How a DJI ban could impact the drone industry (market dominance + regulatory) (Jan 2026)","sourceName":"ASIS Security Management"},{"url":"https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3327057/drone-maker-dji-loses-lawsuit-against-pentagon-claim-chinese-military-ties","title":"DJI loses lawsuit against the Pentagon over Chinese-military-ties claim (Sept 2025)","sourceName":"South China Morning Post"},{"url":"https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/judge-rules-that-drone-maker-dji-is-affiliated-with-chinas-defense-industry-company-to-stay-on-pentagons-list-of-chinese-military-companies","title":"Judge rules DJI affiliated with China's defense industry; stays on DoD 1260H list (Sept 2025)","sourceName":"Tom's Hardware"},{"url":"https://dronelife.com/2025/05/13/dji-mavic-4-pro-revolutionary-features-rave-reviews-and-u-s-availability-challenges/","title":"DJI Mavic 4 Pro launch and US availability challenges (May 13, 2025)","sourceName":"DroneLife"},{"url":"https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-updates-covered-list-add-certain-uas-and-uas-components-0","title":"FCC updates Covered List to add certain UAS and UAS components (DA 25-1086) (Dec 22, 2025)","sourceName":"FCC (official)"},{"url":"https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-416839A1.pdf","title":"FCC fact sheet: Covered List update to include foreign UAS (Dec 2025)","sourceName":"FCC (official)"},{"url":"https://www.scmp.com/news/us/economy-trade-business/article/3329031/china-drone-maker-dji-appeals-inclusion-pentagons-chinese-military-companies-list","title":"DJI appeals its DoD 1260H designation to the DC Circuit (Oct 2025)","sourceName":"South China Morning Post"},{"url":"https://chinaselectcommittee.house.gov/media/press-releases/moolenaar-stefanik-statement-cbp-blocking-imports-ccp-backed-drone-company-dji","title":"House Select Committee statement on CBP blocking DJI imports under UFLPA (Oct 2024)","sourceName":"US House Select Committee on the CCP (official)"}],"keyFacts":[{"label":"Founded","value":"2006, Shenzhen, China, by Frank Wang (Wang Tao)"},{"label":"Market position","value":"Dominant global consumer/prosumer drone maker; roughly 70-77 percent US consumer market share (2025)"},{"label":"Video transmission","value":"OcuSync (O3+/O4) - proprietary HD video/control transmission; up to ~20 km FHD. Flight-tech, not an autonomy system."},{"label":"Obstacle avoidance","value":"APAS (Advanced Pilot Assistance System) - obstacle sensing/avoidance that assists the pilot. Pilot-assist/augmentation, not full autonomy."},{"label":"US regulatory status","value":"Added to FCC Covered List (Dec 2025); DoD Section 1260H Chinese-military-company designation (litigation ongoing, appeal at DC Circuit); CBP UFLPA import scrutiny since 2024."},{"label":"Hero image candidate","value":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/DJI_Mavic_3.jpg (source: Wikimedia Commons, license: CC BY-SA 4.0)"}],"aliases":["Da-Jiang Innovations","SZ DJI Technology","DJI Technology","DJI Innovations","DJI","DJI Mavic","DJI Matrice","DJI Inspire","DJI Agras"],"collisionRisk":"low","reviewNote":null,"atsProvider":null,"atsSlug":null,"factoryLocations":null,"manufacturingCapacity":null,"orgType":null,"burnSignal":null,"litigationEvents":null,"insurancePostureDisclosed":null,"unitEconomicsDisclosed":null,"createdAt":"2026-05-31T03:14:26.185Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-18T21:05:43.847Z"},"derived":{"status":"active"},"sources":[{"id":"f0d3788a-7c65-469f-b7da-93484cc01495","incidentId":"0b3458c4-51db-4229-bf0e-d3bd6503e097","url":"https://www.wiley.law/alert-In-Unexpected-First-of-Its-Kind-Action-FCC-Adds-All-Foreign-Produced-Uncrewed-Aircraft-Systems-and-UAS-Critical-Components-to-Covered-List","label":"Wiley (regulatory alert)","publishedAt":null,"notes":null,"title":null,"sourceName":null,"mediaType":"article","videoId":null,"channel":null,"durationSec":null,"timestampSec":null,"createdAt":"2026-06-04T21:33:27.661Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-04T21:33:27.661Z"},{"id":"9bcb2bcf-fdaf-41c0-8ad2-b9aead8be344","incidentId":"0b3458c4-51db-4229-bf0e-d3bd6503e097","url":"https://dronelife.com/2025/12/04/dji-urges-federal-agencies-to-initiate-ndaa-mandated-security-review-ahead-of-december-deadline/","label":"DroneLife","publishedAt":null,"notes":null,"title":null,"sourceName":null,"mediaType":"article","videoId":null,"channel":null,"durationSec":null,"timestampSec":null,"createdAt":"2026-06-04T21:33:27.661Z","updatedAt":"2026-06-04T21:33:27.661Z"}],"responses":[],"statusEvents":[],"jsonLd":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://registry.deploy.report/incidents/dji-autel-fcc-covered-list-2025","url":"https://registry.deploy.report/incidents/dji-autel-fcc-covered-list-2025","headline":"FCC added foreign-produced UAS (DJI, Autel) to the Covered List, blocking new US authorizations","description":"On Dec 22 2025 the FCC added all foreign-produced UAS and UAS critical components to the Covered List, after a National Security Determination (Dec 21 2025) followed an uncompleted NDAA Section 1709 (Countering CCP Drones Act) interagency review by the Dec 23 2025 statutory deadline. Effect: no new FCC authorizations/modifications for covered drones (DJI, Autel); previously authorized models may still be sold; it is a new-authorization block, NOT a use/possession ban. Category-wide (anchored here to the DJI line). Cap-flag: exact FCC docket/order number not confirmed from a .gov primary this pass.","identifier":"0b3458c4-51db-4229-bf0e-d3bd6503e097","datePublished":"2025-12-22T12:00:00.000Z","articleSection":"regulatory action","publisher":{"@id":"https://deploy.report/#organization"},"author":{"@id":"https://deploy.report/#organization"}},"framework_metadata":{"framework_schema_version":"0.1.0","verification_status":"verified","maturity_stage":null,"lifecycle_state":null,"architectural_position":{"cohort":null,"sub_cohorts":[]},"within_cohort_verified_vs_claimed_pair":null,"cap_flags":[],"verification_depth":{"sources_count":2,"primary_source_types":[]}}}