Collection: Inspired Flight

Background On The NDAA The John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019 was signed into law on August 13, 2018. The law, specifically Section 889, amongst other things prohibits federal agencies, their contractors. and grant or loan recipients from procuring or using “telecommunications and video surveillance equipment or services” from specific Chinese companies as a “substantial or essential component of any system, or as critical technology as part of any system.” The NDAA ban also extends to other manufacturers in cases in which the video surveillance cameras or systems from the specified vendors are offered under another manufacturer.

The ever evolving development of commercial UAS can benefit DoD and government users as commercial systems are updated and improved on a far faster timeline than traditional Programs of Record (POR). The Blue UAS effort, started in 2020, is a holistic and continuous approach that rapidly vets and scales commercial unmanned aerial system (UAS) technology for the Department of Defense (DoD). This program consists of two lines of effort that curate, maintain and improve a robust roster of policy approved commercial UAS to meet the diverse needs of DoD users. The military applications of these systems become more apparent each day through observation of their tactical capabilities in contested battle spaces.

An initiative from the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), Green UAS verifies commercial drones against high-level cybersecurity and NDAA supply chain requirements. The Green UAS program provides a more affordable and accessible alternative to the Blue sUAS certification, especially for non-DoD customers. The focus is on maintaining the same level of security without the steep cost and time associated with Blue UAS certification. The key difference is that Green UAS does not meet DOD requirements, but may still meet requirements for local departments and agencies to purchase with grant.