Top 10 US Commercial Drone Manufacturers Post-FCC Regulations

A comprehensive guide to American-made commercial drones following new FCC regulations

The commercial drone industry in the United States is at a pivotal moment. On December 22, 2025, the FCC took action that effectively restricts the authorization of new DJI drones in the U.S. market by adding them to the FCC Covered List. While the ruling restricts authorization of new DJI equipment, existing DJI drones remain legal to own and operate. This regulatory shift has sent ripples through an industry where, according to a comprehensive industry survey of 8,056 drone operators, 96.7% currently use DJI equipment, with 70% operating fleets that are entirely DJI-based.

At Skywatch, we insure commercial drone operations across all platforms, including DJI. We remain committed to supporting professional operators regardless of the equipment they fly. However, as these regulatory changes reshape the market, we felt it was important to spotlight the U.S. drone manufacturing industry and provide operators with a comprehensive resource for understanding their options.

Understanding the Current Market

Before diving into the manufacturers, it's important to understand current operator preferences. A recent survey asked operators what brands they currently use (operators could select multiple brands, as many maintain diverse fleets). Beyond DJI, the results showed Autel Robotics at 9.2%, custom-built/DIY at 7.9%, Skydio at 4.9%, Parrot at 3.0%, Freefly Systems at 1.9%, Anzu Robotics at 1.3%, Inspired Flight at 0.9%, Teledyne FLIR/Aeryon at 0.5%, Censys Technologies at 0.3%, and Skyfront at 0.2%.

Important Note on Autel Robotics: While Autel is used by 9.2% of surveyed operators, on January 6, 2025, the U.S. Department of Defense added Autel Robotics to its blacklist as a "Chinese Military Company." The company is headquartered in Shenzhen, China, and faces similar regulatory scrutiny as DJI. Therefore, this guide focuses on American-manufactured and Blue UAS-certified alternatives that provide long-term operational security.

Top 10 US Commercial Drone Manufacturers

The following manufacturers are listed in alphabetical order with no relevance to their market ranking, performance, or any other comparative factor. Each represents a viable American-made or U.S.-compliant alternative for commercial drone operations.

1. AeroVironment

Website: www.avinc.com

About: A defense technology leader headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, AeroVironment has been manufacturing unmanned systems since 1971. Founded by Paul B. MacCready Jr., the company delivers battlefield-proven systems with a market capitalization of over $19 billion.

Popular Commercial Drones:

Quantix: Integrated commercial solution for agriculture and industrial applications
Puma AE: All-environment capable platform
JUMP 20: Vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) system
VAPOR: Advanced reconnaissance platform

Industry Use Cases: Agricultural monitoring and precision farming, infrastructure inspection, security and surveillance, environmental monitoring

2. Anzu Robotics

Website: www.anzurobotics.com

About: Used by 1.3% of surveyed operators, Anzu Robotics offers enterprise-grade drones with secure architecture. While not currently NDAA-compliant, their platforms are designed to support operations where data control is essential.

Popular Commercial Drones:

Anzu Raptor: Commercial platform with RGB cameras, 45-minute flight time, and 9-mile range
Anzu Raptor T: Thermal-equipped variant including infrared capabilities
Anzu Raptor RTK: RTK-enabled version for precision mapping with 56x hybrid zoom and mechanical shutter

Industry Use Cases: Mapping and surveying (no GCPs required with RTK), infrastructure inspection, enterprise operations, tactical applications

Important Disclosure: Anzu licenses drone designs from DJI and manufactures in Malaysia. Commercial operators should evaluate compliance requirements before procurement.

3. Censys Technologies

Website: www.censystech.com

About: Used by 0.3% of surveyed operators, Censys Technologies is a leading provider of unmanned aerial systems specializing in beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone development and production.

Popular Commercial Drones:

Sentaero 5: Advanced BVLOS platform with cellular command and control (C2) and remote ID compliance
Sentaero 6: Next-generation long-range mapping platform

Industry Use Cases: Large-scale mapping and surveying, pipeline and utility corridor inspection, agricultural monitoring, BVLOS commercial operations, infrastructure assessment

4. Freefly Systems

Website: www.freeflysystems.com

About: Used by 1.9% of surveyed operators, Freefly Systems builds rugged, American-made commercial drones from their facility in the USA. Known initially for cinema-grade stabilization systems, they've evolved into a leading industrial drone manufacturer.

Popular Commercial Drones:

Astro: US-made commercial platform featuring RTK positioning, 61-megapixel Sony camera, LTE cloud connectivity
Astro Max: Latest industrial workhorse with double the payload capacity and 60% more thrust
Alta X: Heavy-lift hexacopter drone for demanding industrial applications

Industry Use Cases: Industrial inspection and surveying, heavy payload operations, cinema and professional photography, mapping and 3D modeling, emergency response

5. Inspired Flight Technologies

Website: www.inspiredflight.com

About: Used by 0.9% of surveyed operators, Inspired Flight designs, develops, and manufactures commercial drones specifically for industrial and government use entirely in the United States. They hold Blue UAS certification for multiple platforms.

Popular Commercial Drones:

IF800 Tomcat: Blue UAS-certified platform balancing performance with regulatory compliance
IF1200: Heavy-lift hexacopter featuring an open interface and extended flight times

Industry Use Cases: Government operations, industrial inspection, heavy payload transport, custom mission-specific applications

6. Parrot

Website: www.parrot.com

About: Used by 3.0% of surveyed operators, French company Parrot manufactures its professional drones in the United States. Founded by Henri Seydoux with headquarters in Paris, Parrot's ANAFI USA line is specifically designed for American government and enterprise markets.

Popular Commercial Drones:

ANAFI USA: Professional drone made in the USA with triple camera system (wide visual, zoom visual, 320 thermal), 32-minute flight time, and 2.5-mile transmission range
ANAFI USA Gov Edition: Specialized variant for U.S. government agencies requiring data security
ANAFI Ai: Advanced 4G-connected autonomous platform

Industry Use Cases: Public safety and first responder operations, industrial inspection, search and rescue, government and military applications, infrastructure monitoring

7. Skydio

Website: www.skydio.com

About: Used by 4.9% of surveyed operators, Skydio is America's leading autonomous drone manufacturer and a pioneer in AI-powered flight technology. The company has emerged as the strongest DJI alternative, already serving enterprise and government clients worldwide.

Popular Commercial Drones:

Skydio X10: Their flagship enterprise platform featuring unrivaled thermal imaging with the first-ever integrated Teledyne FLIR Boson+ sensor
Skydio X10D: Defense-focused variant with enhanced security features
Skydio R10: Designed for remote operations and site security
Skydio F10: First responder optimized platform

Industry Use Cases: Public safety and drone-as-first-responder (DFR) programs, critical infrastructure inspection, construction monitoring and surveying, energy and utilities inspection

According to industry data, 13% of public safety agencies already use Skydio drones, making them the second most popular platform after DJI.

8. Skyfront

Website: www.skyfront.com

About: Used by 0.2% of surveyed operators, Skyfront leads in long-endurance hybrid drone technology. Their proprietary fuel-injected hybrid-electric power source converts gasoline into electricity in-flight, enabling record-breaking flight times.

Popular Commercial Drones:

Perimeter 8: Hybrid gas-electric drone with world-record 13+ hour flight time, capable of carrying 10 kg for up to one hour or 5 kg for 2-3 hours
Perimeter 8+: Enhanced version with increased payload capacity
Perimeter 8+ WC: Water-cooled variant for extreme heat operations in desert conditions

Industry Use Cases: Long-duration surveillance and security, perimeter monitoring, search and rescue operations, agricultural monitoring over large areas, environmental research

9. Teal Drones

Website: www.tealdrones.com

About: Now part of Red Cat Holdings, Teal Drones produces the first mass-manufactured drones entirely built in the United States with DoD-compliant components. They pioneered American drone manufacturing at scale.

Popular Commercial Drones:

Teal 2: Blue UAS-certified sUAS developed under strict design guidelines, earning certification from the US Department of Defense

Industry Use Cases: Defense and security operations, commercial bridge inspections, construction project monitoring, ranch and agricultural management, public safety applications

10. Teledyne FLIR (Aeryon)

Website: defense.flir.com

About: Used by 0.5% of surveyed operators, Teledyne FLIR Defense manufactures unmanned aerial systems specializing in military-grade reliability for commercial and defense applications.

Popular Commercial Drones:

SkyRanger R70: Advanced multi-mission UAS establishing new benchmarks for small UAS performance and reliability
SkyRanger R60: Tactical intelligence platform for mission-critical applications
R80D SkyRaider: Vertical takeoff quadcopter capable of carrying multiple payloads up to 7.7 pounds

Industry Use Cases: Law enforcement and tactical operations, border and perimeter security, critical infrastructure protection, industrial inspection, emergency response

Honorable Mentions

Applied Aeronautics (www.appliedaeronautics.com): Specializes in long-range fixed-wing solutions. Their Albatross UAV offers 4-hour flight time and 10kg MTOW starting at just $2,000.

Vantage Robotics (www.vantagerobotics.com): Silicon Valley manufacturer of the Vesper portable EO/IR drone system and Trace compact platform.

Percepto (www.percepto.co): Pioneers in autonomous drone-in-a-box solutions with the Air Max platform for 24/7 industrial monitoring.

The Path Forward

Recent industry research reveals significant concerns about this transition. Among operators affected by DJI supply issues, 43.4% indicated that losing access to DJI platforms would have an "extremely negative/potentially business-ending impact." Additionally, 64% cited higher purchase costs and lower performance as barriers when evaluating non-DJI alternatives, while 54.9% reported reliability and hardware maturity challenges.

However, the industry is adapting. 36% of operators plan to start evaluating alternatives soon, while 29% have already begun serious evaluation. For commercial operators, this transition presents an opportunity to invest in American-made technology while supporting domestic manufacturing.

Making the Switch: Key Considerations

When evaluating US-manufactured alternatives, consider:

Mission Requirements: Match drone capabilities to your specific use cases
Total Cost of Ownership: Factor in purchase price, training, support, and integration costs
Blue UAS Certification: If working with government contracts, verify certification status
Support Infrastructure: Ensure local service and parts availability
Software Ecosystem: Evaluate compatibility with your existing workflows and software tools
Regulatory Compliance: For government and defense work, prioritize NDAA-compliant and Blue UAS-certified platforms

Skywatch's Commitment to the Industry

At Skywatch, we insure commercial drone operations across all manufacturer platforms. Whether you're operating DJI equipment today or transitioning to American-made alternatives like Skydio, Freefly, Parrot, Teal, or any other manufacturer listed here, we provide the coverage and expertise to keep your operations protected.

As the regulatory landscape evolves and U.S. manufacturers continue to innovate, we remain committed to supporting professional operators through every stage of this transition. Our focus is on helping you manage real-world risk, from understanding how parts shortages might affect your operations to ensuring you have the right coverage as you explore new platforms.

The shift happening in the commercial drone industry represents more than regulatory compliance. It's an evolution of an entire ecosystem. At Skywatch, we're here to support you through it.

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