Government Technology
Nikki Davidson
09 June 2025
New executive orders seek to boost the use of drones in public safety, mandate the use of AI to speed up the drone waiver process and provide funding opportunities to boost anti-drone tech access.
President Donald Trump recently issued two new executive orders: Unleashing American Drone Dominance, which focuses on accelerating drone integration into American airspace, and Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty, centered on bolstering security against emerging drone threats. Both contain pivotal mandates with significant implications for state and local government drone operations.
One directive would expand drone capabilities for public safety, streamlining the process for agencies to introduce beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations. That would allow an unmanned aerial system (UAS) pilot to maneuver a drone beyond where they can see it in the sky, as is common with drone-as-first-responder programs, search and rescue operations and disaster response and damage assessments.
The presidential order also taps AI tools to speed up drone waiver processes. In addition, it mandates grants for state and local tech that can detect, track and identify drones that might appear in communities. However, the orders do not explicitly grant state and local law enforcement new authority to take down or disable unauthorized drones.
Read on: How Trump's Drone Orders Will Impact State, Local Government
