In late December 2025, the FCC updated its “Covered List” to add foreign-produced unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commonly known as drones, and their critical components after an Executive Branch interagency body determined that they pose “unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States and to the safety and security of U.S. persons.” Subsequently, in early January 2026, the FCC updated this designation to exclude from its Covered List (until January 1, 2027) UAS and their critical components that are included on the Defense Contract Management Agency’s (“DCMA’s”) Blue UAS list. This exclusion was based on a specific national security determination by the Department of War.
The Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act, enacted in 2019, aims to protect U.S. telecommunications infrastructure and requires the FCC to maintain and update a list of communications equipment and services deemed to pose an “unacceptable risk” to national security. The FCC does so through its Covered List, which is based on national security determinations made by other Executive Branch agencies.
According to the December 2025 interagency assessment, UAS and their critical components, including data transmission devices, communications systems, and flight controllers, produced outside the U.S. could enable surveillance, data exfiltration, and destructive operations in the U.S. That is why they were added to the Covered List. The subsequent January 2026 exclusion of UAS and their critical components on the DCMA’s Blue UAS list effectively narrowed the Covered List update, but only until January 1, 2027.
The relevant FCC Fact Sheets pertaining to these developments can be found here and here.
Inclusion on the Covered List means that affected equipment is ineligible for new FCC equipment authorizations and therefore cannot be imported, used, marketed, or sold in the U.S. With regard to the inclusion of UAS and their critical components on the Covered List, the FCC emphasized that this should not affect a U.S. consumer’s ability to continue using UAS already purchased and owned, nor does it prevent U.S. retailers from selling, importing, or marketing UAS models previously approved through the FCC’s equipment authorization process. By operation of the Covered List rules, the restrictions apply only prospectively to new device models that would otherwise require authorization going forward.