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What is the Blue UAS Cleared List? Everything drone pilots and buyers should know

Sally French
Skydio X10 drone

Photo courtesy of Skydio

If you’ve spent any time in the drone industry — whether as a manufacturer, operator, or enthusiast following policy news — you’ve probably heard the phrase “Blue UAS.” But what exactly is the Blue UAS Cleared List, who manages it, what drones are on it, and why does it matter? This guide breaks it all down.

What Is the Blue UAS Cleared List?

The Blue UAS Cleared List is an official registry of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) that have been vetted, certified and approved for purchase and operation by the U.S. Department of War (DoW). Managed by the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA), the list identifies drones that are:

In short, if you’re a military unit or government agency looking to fly commercially sourced drones without having to mess around with an Exception to Policy (ETP) request, buying a drone on the Blue UAS Cleared List is your fastest path forward.

The Cleared List is distinct from (but related to) something called the Blue UAS Select List. This list includes platforms that were “added in response to specific partner organization needs or through competitive processes. “Select platforms carry a DIU-granted Authority to Operate (ATO).

Why was the Blue UAS Program created?

Before Blue UAS existed, buying a drone on behalf of the DoW was burdensome. Drones either had to be supported by what’s called a “Service-level program of record,” or buyers otherwise had to submit an Exception to Policy request. This was a time- and labor-intensive process tied to that specific user, use case, location, and drone combination.

Blue UAS traces its roots to the U.S. Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) program, which launched in late 2018. The Army needed a rapidly deployable, personal reconnaissance VTOL sUAS for dismounted soldiers. Then, in late 2019, the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) was signed into law — and Section 848 prohibited the use of certain components from covered foreign countries (China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea). The need for NDAA-compliant systems across the DoW led DIU to formally launch the Blue sUAS effort in August 2020.

What started as a five-platform list has since grown substantially, evolving from purpose-built prototypes to a rolling evaluation process that allows companies to submit solutions whenever they’re ready.

What drones are NOT allowed by the DoW

Understanding the Blue UAS list requires a basic understanding of what makes a drone non-compliant under the NDAA. Drones that cannot be used by the DoW have any of the following characteristics:

What’s a critical component? As opposed to something like a screw or propeller, critical components are what really make the drone a “drone. Those components are:

This is also why DJI — the world’s most popular consumer drone manufacturer — is explicitly named as a Covered UAS Company under the American Security Drone Act. DJI is a subsidiary/affiliate of Da-Jiang Innovations, a Chinese company, making its products categorically prohibited for DoW use regardless of where individual units are manufactured.

The Inspired Flight IF800 drone + Sentera payload. Photo courtesy of Inspired Flight.

What’s on the Blue UAS Cleared list right now?

As of early 2026, the Blue UAS Cleared List includes more than 50 platforms from a wide range of U.S. and allied manufacturers. Many (though not all) come from American drone companies. Here’s a sampling of notable entries (note this is not a complete list):

Other manufacturers with cleared platforms include Auterion, Ascent AeroSystems, Quantum Systems and FlightWave Aerospace.

Related read: Inspired Flight IF800 Tomcat review: Is this the best American-made mapping drone?

The Blue UAS Framework: Cleared components, not just whole drones

The Blue UAS program isn’t just about complete aircraft. The Blue UAS Framework is a parallel list of individual NDAA-compliant components and software (including flight controllers, cameras, radios, gimbals, ground control systems, and companion computers) that have been cybersecurity tested and approved for use in DoW applications.

The Framework is designed to help drone developers build compliant systems from the ground up, and it’s useful if you want to buy specific parts for your own product. Some notable component manufacturers with products on the Framework include:

Framework components are approved for use “when properly configured” — the Framework doesn’t automatically make any drone that uses these parts compliant, but it significantly streamlines the assessment process.

How does a drone or component get on the Blue UAS List?

There are three main pathways to get on the Blue UAS Cleared List:

  1. DoW Sponsorship — A Department of War customer sponsors the platform’s inclusion
  2. Competitive Process — DIU runs a formal evaluation such as a Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) or Prize Challenge
  3. Recognized Assessors Process — Third-party assessors verify NDAA compliance

Companies seeking Blue certification for components can also submit through the DCMA’s online portal, which requires company identification, a product description, a bill of materials (software and hardware), documentation of critical components, and NDAA compliance self-certification.

One important note from the FAQ: Blue UAS clearance applies only to the specific models and configurations listed. It does not extend to a manufacturer’s full product family. Adding or modifying any critical components that weren’t part of the original certification requires a fresh assessment.

Does a drone have to be on the Blue UAS List to able for purchase by the U.S. government?

No — and this is a commonly misunderstood point.

Per the official FAQ: “Any DoW organization can purchase certified compliant UAS by completing their own internal administrative requirements.”

Blue UAS merely provides a streamlined baseline verification, making it easier for the U.S. government to buy. However, that does not restrict government organizations from purchasing non-Blue drones that meet their mission needs — it just means they need to go through their own compliance verification processes.

Sure, a Blue UAS-approved drone would be more appealing to government buyers just given the reduced paperwork headache, but it doesn’t rule out non-Blue UAS-approved drones entirely.

One more thing: the laws underlying Blue UAS also apply specifically to the Department of War — not to other federal agencies, not to state or local government agencies, and certainly not to private companies (though a private company wouldn’t use it for any DoW contracts they might be working for).

If someone tells you a drone “must be Blue” to sell to government, that’s not universally accurate.

What about that July 2025 “Drone Dominance” memo?

In mid-2025, the U.S. government issued a memo titled Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance, calling for the elimination of barriers to purchasing and training with emerging UAS technology. In response, DCMA updated its processes to provide more accessible pathways onto the Blue UAS Cleared List, with an explicit goal of scaling trusted drone capabilities to warfighters faster.

This signals a broader shift in how the DoW is approaching commercial drone procurement, meaning less bureaucracy and more speed.

The Blue UAS Cleared List is one of the most important policy levers shaping the U.S. drone industry right now. For manufacturers, getting on the list can unlock significant government contract opportunities. For drone operators in or adjacent to the DoW, it’s the clearest signal of what you can and can’t fly.

The list is actively updated — with the most recent additions appearing as recently as March 2026 — so it’s worth bookmarking the DCMA UAS Portal and checking back regularly.

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