White House Unveils Package of Drone Measures in Executive Order

Trump takes aim at UAV security threats with increased oversight and counter-drone capabilities.

Jack Daleo

Saturday, June 07, 2025 at 08:00 AM ET

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Jack Daleo

President Donald Trump’s executive order aims to improve uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) oversight as more drones enter U.S. airspace. [Courtesy: JeShoots/Pexels]

Key Takeaways:

The White House has issued an executive order implementing broad measures to secure U.S. airspace, citing national security and public safety risks from the rapidly growing number of drones, including those from China.
Key provisions include authorizing federal agencies to enhance drone detection, tracking, and identification, establishing a grant program for state and local law enforcement, and mandating stricter enforcement of airspace violations.
The order also focuses on developing advanced counter-UAS capabilities for critical infrastructure protection and securing major public events, alongside creating a National Training Center for Counter-UAS.
These security initiatives coincide with ongoing regulatory reviews that aim to safely expand commercial drone operations, such as permitting beyond visual line of sight flights, while ensuring airspace transparency and security.

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The White House on Friday unveiled a sweeping set of measures designed to secure U.S. airspace as uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) operations grow increasingly complex.

As of April, there are more than 1 million drones registered with the FAA. About 420,000 of these are commercial drones that perform inspections, transport cargo, and deliver food, drinks, prescriptions, and medical equipment for compensation. Of the rest, many are hobbyist drones produced by China’s DJI—a company lawmakers have derogatorily referred to as “Tiktok with wings.” DJI drones are banned by several federal agencies due to accusations of spying for the Chinese government.