The Blue UAS Cleared List is the federal government’s roster of unmanned aircraft systems that have passed a security review and are approved for government purchase and operation without a separate exception. As of mid-2025, the list moved from the Defense Innovation Unit to the Defense Contract Management Agency, and the authoritative version now lives at bluelist.dcma.mil. If a drone appears on it, an authorized government buyer can procure the system directly; if it doesn’t, federal law generally blocks the purchase.
Where the List Lives Now
A July 10, 2025 memorandum titled “Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance” directed the transfer of the Cleared List from DIU to DCMA.1Defense Innovation Unit. Blue UAS Cleared Drone List DCMA’s stated goal is to turn the list into a full marketplace for military drone procurement by the end of 2027.2Defense Contract Management Agency. US-X Launches Blue List UAS Website
The memo sets three priorities: bolstering the domestic drone manufacturing base by approving hundreds of American products, arming combat units with low-cost drones built by American engineers, and integrating drone capability into all relevant combat training.3Department of War. Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance For anyone using the program in 2026, the practical takeaway is simple: the DCMA site is the current source of truth, and the roster is expected to grow faster than it did under DIU.
Why the List Exists
Two federal laws force the government to use a cleared list rather than shop the open drone market.
Section 848 of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act prohibits the Department of Defense from using drones or related equipment from certain foreign entities, and the restriction covers not just complete aircraft but core components and data transmission systems.4Department of Homeland Security. Blue UAS for First Responders The practical effect was to eliminate Chinese-manufactured platforms from military procurement almost overnight.
The American Security Drone Act, enacted as part of the FY2024 NDAA, extends those restrictions to every executive agency and also bars the use of federal funds, whether through contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements, to procure or operate drones from covered foreign entities. The operation ban took effect two years after enactment, landing in late 2025, and the procurement ban and federal-funds prohibition followed the same timeline. Government purchase cards were restricted immediately upon enactment.5Congress.gov. S.473 American Security Drone Act of 2023 All of these prohibitions are fully in force in 2026.
ASDA defines “covered foreign entity” by reference to a list maintained by the Federal Acquisition Security Council and published in the System for Award Management.6Federal Register. Federal Acquisition Regulation Prohibition on Unmanned Aircraft Systems From Covered Foreign Entities The categories include entities on the Consolidated Screening List, entities subject to direction from a foreign government, entities that pose a national security risk as determined by senior federal officials, and entities domiciled in or controlled by the People’s Republic of China.5Congress.gov. S.473 American Security Drone Act of 2023
How a Drone Gets on the Cleared List
Approval is not paperwork. The review looks hard at two areas: product and device security, and supply chain risk management.
On the cybersecurity side, assessors examine how the drone handles data in flight and on the ground. They look for unauthorized transmission pathways, unencrypted data storage, and firmware vulnerabilities. The point is to confirm that no information collected during a government mission can leak to an external server.
Supply chain verification is where the process gets granular. Manufacturers must show that the origin of critical components, from flight controllers and radios to cameras and GPS modules, does not trace back to a restricted source. A single component from a covered foreign entity can disqualify an otherwise compliant platform. To give manufacturers more compliant sourcing options, DIU expanded the number of verified framework components from 5 to 36 as of early 2024.7Defense Innovation Unit. Updates to the Defense Innovation Blue UAS List, Framework, Supply Chain, and Software
Corporate-level checks round out the review. Financial structure and ownership matter, because a company that is nominally American but controlled by foreign investors could still present a security risk. Only after clearing all of those layers does a drone receive the designation that authorizes government-wide procurement.
Cleared, Select, and Framework
The program is not a single list. It has tiers, and knowing which one you’re looking at matters.
- Blue UAS Cleared covers complete drone systems approved for government purchase and operation, ready to deploy without additional security review. This is the tier most government buyers interact with.
- Blue UAS Select covers platforms that have been competitively selected or sponsored by a military service or combatant command and have received an authority to operate. These undergo additional cyber and performance assessments beyond the standard Cleared evaluation.8Defense Innovation Unit. DIU Outlines Immediate Updates to Blue UAS Lists
- Blue UAS Framework is a catalog of pre-vetted individual components and software, including flight controllers, radios, gimbals, and ground control software, that manufacturers can use to build compliant systems.9Defense Innovation Unit. Blue UAS Refresh List, Framework Platforms and Capabilities Selected
An annual competitive event refreshes the Cleared List and Framework, adding new platforms and capabilities as the market evolves.9Defense Innovation Unit. Blue UAS Refresh List, Framework Platforms and Capabilities Selected The most recent Framework update happened in March 2025, and refresh cycles are expected to accelerate under DCMA.
Who’s on the Current Cleared List
As of mid-2025, the roster spans more than two dozen manufacturers and a wide range of mission profiles. It includes Skydio (X10D, X2D), Parrot (ANAFI USA, ANAFI UKR), Shield AI (V-BAT), AeroVironment (Red Dragon), Teal Drones (Teal 2), Teledyne FLIR (Black Hornet 4), Freefly Systems (Astro, AltaX), and Inspired Flight Technologies (IF800, IF1200A), among others. Platforms run from small hand-launched reconnaissance drones to large fixed-wing systems built for extended surveillance.
Because the list changes with each refresh cycle, agencies should verify current availability at bluelist.dcma.mil before initiating procurement. Platforms can be added or removed as manufacturers update hardware or as supply chains shift.
Green UAS: The Commercial On-Ramp
Manufacturers don’t have to enter Blue UAS review cold. The Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International runs the Green UAS certification program, which DIU recognizes as an authorized pathway to Blue UAS Cleared status.10Defense Innovation Unit. AUVSI Launches Green UAS Cybersecurity Certification Program for Commercial Drones AUVSI acts as a recognized assessor, evaluating drones against the same two foundational areas Blue UAS uses: product and device security, and supply chain risk management.
Green UAS is aimed at the commercial and public-safety market: municipal agencies, fire departments, utility companies, and similar buyers who need compliant drones but aren’t direct military customers. Certification doesn’t automatically place a drone on the Cleared List, but it shortens the path, because a Green UAS-certified drone has already demonstrated alignment with Blue UAS standards.
Certification is also ongoing. AUVSI conducts continuous post-certification checks on corporate cyber hygiene, device security, and supply chain integrity. That matters because a supplier that was compliant at initial certification could later be acquired by a foreign entity, which would invalidate the drone’s status.
Buying From the List and Federal Grant Reach
Military procurement of drones on the list typically flows through the DCMA marketplace or established federal supply channels. Once a system receives Cleared status, it may also appear on the GSA schedule, letting agencies purchase through GSA Advantage with pre-negotiated pricing.10Defense Innovation Unit. AUVSI Launches Green UAS Cybersecurity Certification Program for Commercial Drones That removes the lengthy individual certification each agency would otherwise face.
Civilian federal agencies use the list too. The Department of the Interior issued a Secretary’s Order directing staff to evaluate Blue UAS solutions for the department’s drone needs.11U.S. Department of the Interior. Secretarys Order 3379 and Blue Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems If the military has already vetted a platform, civilian agencies can adopt it without redoing that work.
The ASDA federal-funds provision is what pulls state and local agencies into this system. A fire department or police unit running a drone program funded by a federal grant has to comply with the same restrictions, even though it isn’t a federal buyer itself. Programs like FEMA’s Counter-UAS Grant Program require recipients to use approved technologies that align with national standards.12FEMA. Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems Grant Program Using a non-compliant drone with federal grant money can jeopardize the funding entirely.
Exemptions Under ASDA
The restrictions the Cleared List supports are broad, but not absolute. ASDA carves out several categories of operations that can continue using otherwise restricted drones:
- National interest operations authorized by the Secretaries of Homeland Security, Defense, and State, or the Attorney General.5Congress.gov. S.473 American Security Drone Act of 2023
- Wildfire management and search-and-rescue operations.
- Intelligence activities subject to Congressional reporting requirements.
- Tribal law enforcement and emergency services on Indian lands, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security.
- Specific carve-outs for the Department of Transportation, FAA, NTSB, and NOAA.
Agency heads not named in the statute can still seek waivers through the process the law outlines. The waiver route exists because certain specialized missions, including counter-drone testing and research, may temporarily require access to the platforms the law otherwise restricts.
Consequences for Non-Compliant Contractors
A federal contractor who supplies non-compliant drone hardware risks more than losing one deal. Under the Federal Acquisition Regulation, debarment and suspension are discretionary actions taken to protect the government’s interest, and they can lock a contractor out of federal work for years.13Acquisition.GOV. FAR Subpart 9.4 Debarment, Suspension, and Ineligibility The FAR frames these as protective rather than punitive, but the effect is the same: a debarred company cannot bid on or receive federal contracts during the debarment period. When multiple agencies have an interest in the same contractor’s conduct, the Interagency Suspension and Debarment Committee coordinates the action. That is why manufacturers work to get and stay on the Cleared List, and why buyers should check it before signing anything.