FAA Awards $12 Million for Drone Integration Research
The FAA has allocated $12 million to 19 projects at 14 companies, focusing on detect-and-avoid systems, communications, and airspace management to safely integrate drones into the national airspace.
The Federal Aviation Administration has awarded $12 million to 19 drone integration research projects. This funding, announced on Monday, supports 14 companies working with the FAA's nine designated UAS Test Sites to advance critical safety technologies.
The investment targets aircraft avoidance, satellite links for long-range flights, counter-drone sensing, and AI identification tools. The goal is to test technology in real-world conditions and collect data. This research will help identify operational challenges before drones routinely share the National Airspace System. The funding ties into the broader push from the Unleashing American Drone Dominance executive order. It supports future expansions like drone deliveries, long-range autonomous flights, and air taxis.
Section 925 of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 authorized $6 million annually from fiscal year 2025 through 2028 for matching funds. The $12 million represents two fiscal years of that appropriation. The FAA is paying to test infrastructure and safety systems that could determine how far commercial drone operations can expand.
Awards span detect-and-avoid, communications, and airspace management
Funded projects cover a wide spectrum of integration challenges. The awards include work on ground-based and onboard systems to help drones avoid other aircraft. They also fund satellite communications for long-range flights and tools for managing reserved drone airspace in cities.
A variety of companies received funding for specific technological demonstrations. The list of awardees and their project focuses includes:
Research conducted through FAA-designated UAS Test Sites
All projects are carried out in collaboration with the FAA’s nine designated UAS Test Sites. This program expands test site use in line with federal policy. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the program offers another way to directly work with industry and our test site partners on technologies that are critical to safe drone integration.
The nine test sites are located in Alaska, North Dakota, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Texas, Virginia, Oklahoma, and Indiana. Specific site operators include the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and the Indiana Economic Development Corp. The FAA posted the solicitation on SAM.gov on September 30, 2025. After deadline extensions due to a government shutdown, white papers were due by January 9, 2026.
The solicitation requires a minimum one-to-one cost share, meaning companies must match the FAA funding. Each test site had approximately $1.3 million of FAA money to allocate to partnering companies.
ANRA Technologies and SPS Aerial lead in award count
ANRA Technologies received four awards, the most of any single entity. Its projects span connecting air taxi operations with vertiports, establishing a common altitude reference for drones, linking drone traffic management with conventional air traffic systems at airports, and using AI to identify drone types.
SPS Aerial Remote Sensing received three awards. They cover a drone visibility test, a sensor system supporting traffic management and counter-drone missions, and a tool to measure sensor performance.
FAA leadership emphasizes that this collaborative research is vital for the future. Bryan Bedford noted that the research will help the agency identify operational challenges and inform how drones can be safely integrated into the national airspace. The work conducted at these test sites will directly shape the rules and infrastructure that allow advanced drone operations to take flight.
