If the US government does not complete a security review by December 23, DJI—the firm supplying the vast majority of spray drones used by US farmers—will be unable to launch new models in the country, while the FCC could revoke authorizations for those already in use.
A clause buried in last year’s defense spending bill requires a government agency to determine if Chinese drone makers DJI and Autel present a threat to US national security. If an agency does not report back by Dec 23, the firms will be added to the FCC’s covered list of communications equipment and services “deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to the national security of the US.”
Being added to the list would prevent DJI and Autel from getting FCC licenses for future drone models, while new powers given to the FCC could also lead to the revocation of authorizations for existing models, says DJI.
DJI head of global policy Adam Welsh told AgFunderNews: “At this stage, we are calling for a reasonable extension of the deadline to make a genuine, fact-based review possible. As of today, it would be very difficult to conduct a proper audit in the short period remaining before the deadline. And while Congress mandated this security assessment under Section 1709 of the FY25 NDAA, no agency was specifically assigned to complete it.”
Asked what the FCC’s new powers meant for existing DJI models already deployed in the US market, he said: “On October 28, the FCC voted to grant itself the power to revoke FCC certifications from companies on its covered list.
“As we understand, each previously approved product would need to be re-evaluated through a formal process before that could happen. This means any revocation would not be automatic or immediate. Additionally, this would have no impact on products already in consumers’ hands; instead, it would affect a manufacturer’s ability to market and sell products in the United States.”
Offers to work with federal agencies have gone ‘unanswered’
In a letter sent Dec 1 to multiple government agencies handling national security, Welsh said offers to work with federal agencies “have gone unanswered.”
He added: “With time running out, we once again are calling for this audit to take place immediately to avoid the automatic addition of DJI products to the FCC’s ‘covered list’ that would take place if the audit is not completed by December 23.”
The move comes at the tail end of a frustrating year for DJI, which told Reuters that US Customs and Border Protection had blocked imports of some of its drones on the grounds that it may be using forced labor, claims that it says are “unsubstantiated and categorically false.”
In October, DJI appealed a court ruling upholding the Department of Defense’s characterization of the firm as a “Chinese military company.” While this doesn’t prevent DJI from operating in the US, it effectively blocks it from securing federal contracts.
The ruling is just the latest in a series of setbacks for DJI, which has been fending off multiple attempts to restrict its US activities over the past couple of years as lawmakers have sought to characterize it as a national security threat based on what DJI claims are “inaccurate and unsubstantiated allegations.”
The firm, which told this publication in mid 2024 that “a rough estimate suggests that approximately four out of every five ag drones utilized by US farmers are DJI models,” would not give a figure for 2025. However, a spokesperson told us that, “In the US, DJI’s network of partners grew 200% from 2023 to 2024.”
American Autonomy Inc: ‘How do we turn this chaos into an opportunity?’
With the prospects for DJI drones in the US appearing uncertain, Rantizo—a key provider of spraying services with DJI drones—recently sold off its spray drone services business and created a new company, American Autonomy Inc, focused on software solutions for the US spray drone industry.
CEO Mariah Scott told AgFunderNews: “We were pretty active for the last year and a half working with other spray drone distributors trying to raise awareness about impending bans on DJI but about six months ago, we had a strategy session saying, OK, what do we think is going to happen, and how do we turn this chaos into an opportunity?
“We predicted that DJI was going to be banned, plus they’ve already been import restricted, and that creates an opportunity for new drone manufacturers to come to market. So we decided to sell off the spray services part of the business to a private investment group and focus on software.
“We build operating software that gives farmers control of their own data and connects to the other applications that they use such as John Deere Operations Center. The foundation for that software is Acre Connect, our spray drone operations software.
“In October, we announced our first partner, Exedy Drones, an automotive manufacturer that will be building drones in Michigan and wanted a partner who could build high quality software and understood agriculture. We’re now going out and talking to other manufacturers who are also trying to get into the market.”
Data that’s usable, shareable, and compatible with the systems farmers already rely on
While US drone maker Guardian Agriculture recently shut down, new players are coming into the market, claimed Scott, referencing a combination of new players and existing drone makers that are moving into the ag spray space. “We’ve got probably close to 50 manufacturers that we’re having conversations with right now.”
Although other drone firms have struggled to compete with DJI, which Scott likened to tech firm Apple in that it likes to build everything in-house, a new wave of players is taking a different approach, she claimed. “Manufacturers can focus on building quality aircraft and we focus on building quality software and making sure that it connects to the other applications that farmer are using, like their farm management system or accounting software.”
She added: “What farmers like about ground sprayers is that they talk to [Bayer’s] Climate FieldView [farm management software], or John Deere Operations Center, and the data ends up where it needs to be. We think it’s been a barrier for drones to have that data locked inside the controller. One of the things we’ve learned is that farmers expect drones to work like other agriculture equipment, with that machine-to-machine connection.
“We’re helping US drone manufacturers deliver software that makes data usable, shareable, and compatible with the systems farmers already rely on.”
The evolving ag spray drone market
She added: “10 years ago the supply chain was not as developed, so you really did have to build and design everything yourself. Now there are a lot of modular components. Flight controllers, motors, and many different suppliers making it easier for new entrants to come in. But they still need manufacturing expertise and quality software to be able to produce a system that’s going to be able to compete.”
While some of these parts are coming from China, which is subject to tariffs and potentially subject to further restrictions being mulled by the US Dept of Commerce, she said, “Most of the manufacturers we’re talking to understand that for long term viability they need to move as much of the supply chain as they can to the US.”
Stepping back to look at the sweet spot for ag spray drones in the US market, she said: “Where drones have been really effective is in precision application and treatment, dealing with emergent issues like a fungus where you need to quickly get in and be able to treat dealing with unpredictable weather, irrigated acres, and [challenging] terrain.”
Further reading:
Faster, further, longer: Can SiFly upend the ag spray drone market?
DJI report charts rapid rise in global adoption of ag spray drones
