components
NDAA-compliant components
The parts we would put in a compliant uncrewed system today: flight controllers, compute, radios, sensors, navigation, propulsion and ground control.
// how we pick
What “NDAA compliant” means. Section 848 of the FY2020 NDAA bars the Department of War from buying flight controllers, radios, data links, cameras, gimbals, ground control systems and operating software made in, or by a company domiciled in, China, Russia, Iran or North Korea. Batteries and motors are not covered by 848. Since December 2025 the FCC’s Covered List goes further and blocks new authorizations for any foreign-produced UAS critical component, including batteries and motors, unless it is on the DCMA Blue UAS list or qualifies as a Buy American domestic end product. That exemption runs to January 1, 2028. Compliance with 848 is a claim a vendor makes; the Blue List and AUVSI’s Green UAS certification are the two places someone actually checks it.
What gets listed. A component is on this page only if it meets all of the following: it appears on the DCMA Blue UAS Framework or Cleared List, or holds AUVSI Green UAS certification, or the maker publishes a written Section 848 statement and no listed alternative exists in the category; it is purchasable now with documented specifications; it is made in, and owned from, the United States or an allied country, with the country shown on every entry.
How to read an entry. Basis is the list or statement the claim rests on. Verification is ours: “Verified on an official list” means we read it on the DIU, DCMA or AUVSI page; “Vendor statement” means the maker says so and we could not read the official list; “Secondary source, unverified” means a reseller or news report says so. Treat the last two as leads, not findings, and check the DCMA portal at bluelist.dcma.mil before you buy. Last reviewed is the date we last looked.
Flight controllers & autopilots
ARK Electronics
Made in USA
$195
Compliant FPV controller at a price that works for attritable airframes.
STM32H743, IIM-42653 IMU, 7.5 g, 30.5 mm mount, 3S to 12S, 12 V 2 A VTX output
ARK Electronics
Made in USA
$400
U.S.-built PX4 reference hardware. The open-standard counterweight to Cube, and the controller ARK supplied to DIU's Blue Framework refresh.
STM32H743 at 480 MHz, triple IMUs, BMP390, 5 g, Pixhawk Autopilot Bus connector
CubePilot via NW Blue
Assembled in USA (Portland, OR)
$650
The U.S.-assembled Cube. The default flight controller for ArduPilot and PX4 builds, with the widest carrier-board and integrator support of any autopilot on this list.
STM32H753 at 400 MHz, MS5611 barometer, Cube carrier-board ecosystem
NW Blue
Made in USA (Portland, OR)
$225
A U.S.-made FPV-class flight controller, which is the part of the market where compliant options were thinnest. Pre-order at review time.
STM32H757 dual-core, ICM45686 IMU, 36 x 36 mm, 4S to 12S input, 9 PWM with bidirectional DShot, ArduPilot / PX4 / Betaflight
Auterion
Not stated; Auterion HQ Arlington, VA and Munich
Quote
Autopilot and mission computer in one board. What several of the newer U.S. strike and ISR drones actually run under the hood.
FMUv6x flight controller plus mission computer with NPU in one module, single connector to ESCs, up to 8 motors, 2 MIPI cameras, 30.5 mm mount
Compute & AI boards
NVIDIA
Designed in USA, fabricated in Taiwan
Quote
The GPU module behind most perception and targeting software on Group 2 and 3 systems. Listed with a caveat: confirm the exact module on the DCMA portal before relying on it.
Orin NX up to 100 TOPS at 10 to 25 W, 260-pin SO-DIMM; AGX Orin up to 275 TOPS at 15 to 60 W
· Secondary source, unverified
ModalAI
Designed and assembled in USA (San Diego)
$1,400
Autopilot and vision computer on one 16-gram board. The basis of several Blue List airframes and the most common compliant answer to onboard autonomy.
Qualcomm QRB5165, 15 TOPS NPU, 8 GB / 128 GB, 16 g, 70 x 36 mm, 6 MIPI camera inputs
ModalAI
Designed and assembled in USA (San Diego)
Quote
The same compute stack cut down for sub-250 g and FPV-class airframes.
QRB5165, 15 TOPS, 11 g, 42 x 42 mm with 30.5 mm mount, 4 MIPI inputs
Radios & datalinks
DTC (a Codan company)
UK, US and Australia production; Codan Group (Australia)
Quote
Among the first radios added under DCMA's management of the Blue List. Allied-made; specs to be confirmed with DTC.
MANET SDR family; model specs not published on dtccodan.com at review time
Doodle Labs
Not stated on product page; Doodle Labs LLC, USA and Singapore
Quote
The standard small-drone datalink. Used on Freefly Astro and by Auterion Government Solutions per Doodle Labs.
102 g, 57 x 86 x 13 mm, multiband 900 MHz + 2.4 GHz or M1 to M6, 1.6 W, 80 Mbps, Ethernet / USB / UART, FIPS 140-3
· Verified on an official list
Microhard
Canada (Calgary); country of manufacture not stated
Quote
Long-standing OEM datalink in many Group 1 and 2 designs. Allied-made; Framework status to confirm on the DCMA portal.
2.4 GHz 2x2 MIMO, 1 W, over 25 Mbps, dual Ethernet, serial, USB, AES-256, -40 to +85 C
· Secondary source, unverified
Mobilicom
Not stated; offices Australia, USA (Delaware), Israel
Quote
Mobilicom's smallest cyber-hardened datalink, added to the Blue Framework after SkyHopper PRO and PRO Lite. Specs need a manual check.
Specs not read at review time; vendor page blocked automated access
Silvus Technologies
USA (Los Angeles); Motorola Solutions company
Quote
The MANET radio the services actually buy. Green UAS certified on AUVSI's official list and Blue Framework per Silvus.
2x2 MIMO MANET, dual band, up to 10 W, Ethernet / USB / RS232, IP68, AES-256 FIPS 140-3, up to 559 nodes
· Verified on an official list
Silvus Technologies
USA (Los Angeles)
Quote
The high-power node for ground control stations and relay; carries Army nomenclature.
Up to 20 W, dual band, FIPS 140-3 Level 2; fielded as AN/PRC-169 and AN/VRC-147
Silvus Technologies
USA (Los Angeles)
Quote
The embeddable Silvus for small airframes and payloads.
OEM module, up to 2 W, up to 100 Mbps, single or dual band, AES-256 FIPS 140-3
UXV Technologies
Denmark (Copenhagen) and USA (Pennsylvania) production
Quote
Lets one controller or airframe swap datalink vendors without a redesign, which is how programs hedge radio supply.
Hot-swappable radio carrier for Doodle Labs, Microhard, Persistent and Silvus modules; MIL-STD-810
· Verified on an official list
EO/IR & sensors
Teledyne FLIR
USA (Teledyne Technologies)
Quote
The thermal core inside most U.S. Group 1 payloads. FLIR's pages blocked automated reads, so specs and listing should be confirmed by hand.
640 x 512 LWIR core; Hadron pairs it with a 64 MP visible camera in one module
RPX Technologies
USA (Stillwater, OK)
Quote
Named in DIU's final Framework refresh before the DCMA handoff.
Embedded thermal camera module; specs not read at review time
Trillium Engineering
USA (Hood River, OR)
Quote
A U.S.-made stabilized gimbal with a federal-recognized certification behind it, which is rare in this category.
Stabilized EO/IR gimbal for Group 2 and 3; flown on Anduril Ghost per Trillium
GreenSight
USA (Boston, MA)
Quote
Named in DIU's final Framework refresh before the DCMA handoff.
Compact EO payload; specs not read at review time
Workswell
Czech Republic
Quote
Allied-made thermal payload on AUVSI's Green UAS list. Included for completeness; specs to confirm.
Radiometric thermal plus visible payload; specs not read at review time
Navigation & Remote ID
Pierce Aerospace
USA (Indianapolis, IN)
Quote
Remote ID is mandatory for most domestic flights and almost every cheap module is Chinese. This one is not.
FAA Remote ID broadcast module; specs not read at review time
TILT Autonomy
USA
Quote
Beyond-line-of-sight connectivity for ground and surface robots without a bespoke satcom terminal.
Power-over-Ethernet Starlink integration for uncrewed systems; specs not read at review time
Locus Lock
USA (Austin, TX)
Quote
The one navigation entry with a federal list behind it. Resilient GNSS is the component buyers ask about first after Ukraine.
Anti-jam, anti-spoof GNSS receiver; specs not read at review time
Motors, ESCs & power
Batteries are missing on purpose. No battery appears on any federal list we can find, and Section 848 does not cover them today. The Senate’s FY2027 NDAA draft would add batteries, battery management systems, motors and ESCs to the restricted list. When a battery lands on the Blue Framework it will appear here.
Vertiq
USA (Boston, MA)
Quote
The only propulsion entry with a federal list behind it. Everything else in this category is vendor attestation, which is why the batteries row below is empty.
Motor and ESC in one module with closed-loop position and velocity control; 23-06 and 40-06 series
ModalAI
Designed and assembled in USA (San Diego)
Quote
Rounds out a fully compliant VOXL-based power train.
4-in-1 ESC and power module matched to VOXL 2 and VOXL 2 Mini
Ground control & software
UXV Technologies
Denmark and USA (Pennsylvania)
Quote
Pairs with the SRM radio modules above; the common compliant GCS for European and U.S. small-UAS makers.
Rugged handheld and tablet ground control with swappable radio bays
Primordial Labs
USA (New Haven, CT)
Quote
Voice and text tasking of drones; now also being built into General Dynamics combat-vehicle crew stations.
Natural-language command and control for uncrewed systems
Athena Artificial Intelligence
USA
Quote
Software made DIU's Framework list for the first time in the Feb 2025 refresh; Athena was one of three.
Onboard computer vision software for detection and tracking
Code19 Autonomy
USA
Quote
Maveric AI is Code19’s modular high-dynamic autonomy package, delivered as a payload rather than a vehicle: it integrates with third-party platforms, sensors and mission systems for intercept, sense-and-evade and C-UAS missions.
Platform-agnostic autonomy payload: intercept autonomy, sense and evade, C-UAS digital proving ground; integrates with third-party vehicles, sensors and mission systems
Kutta Technologies
USA (Phoenix, AZ)
Quote
A U.S.-made tactical controller with an independent certification, used across Army small-UAS programs.
Handheld tactical ground controller; KTAC is the Green-certified platform variant
Panasonic
Japan (Panasonic Connect); assembled in Japan and Taiwan
Quote
The de facto GCS hardware for Group 2 and 3 systems, and the one general-purpose device on AUVSI's component list.
Rugged 10.1-inch Windows tablet, MIL-STD-810H, hot-swappable batteries
Nothing here is paid placement and no maker is told in advance. If a listing is wrong or a status has changed, reply to any Tuesday issue and we will re-check it.
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