New England members represented by AUVSI New England
The Washington D.C. heat didn’t hold back this year’s AUVSI Drone and AAM Policy Symposium, although the reduced attendance by the FAA was a noted change for an event that until last year was organized by the FAA and was titled the “FAA Drone and AAM Symposium.” Along with the name change, this year’s Symposium was held in a new location, moving from the Baltimore Conference Center of past years to Nationals Park baseball stadium in D.C. Despite the reduced number of FAA speakers and attendees, AUVSI’s two-day event (July 29-30) still provided valuable updates on policy directions for the drone and AAM community, and remained an excellent opportunity to meet other leaders across our industry.
Arriving attendees were greeted by a new venue: Nationals Park, which was a unique choice for this type of event. The Symposium took place at the box level of the stadium, circling the park from left field, past third base, to the main event space above first base. The choice of venue attracted a lot of discussion, with a split between people who loved the fun vibe of the location and others who struggled to hear speakers amidst the din of networking conversations. The heat definitely was noticeable, since stepping away from the main lobby areas often meant moving out of the air conditioning into the stands. I suspect that AUVSI will get a ton feedback on the venue, from those who loved the fun atmosphere and others who tired of the heat. I only hope that next time we can stay for a game.
As unique as the venue was, the value for attendees was in receiving updates on policy initiatives and regulatory rulemaking. AUVSI President Michael Robbins kicked off the event. He provided a broad overview of critical drone and AAM issues and a helpful outline of the current policy environment, now dominated by new White House Executive Orders on Unleashing American Drone Dominance and Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty. As he did at AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2025 in Houston, Michael took direct aim at the continued delay of the FAA’s new proposed Part 108 Beyond Visual Line of Sight rule – which the community has been expecting since last year – although he lauded the new MOSAIC light sport rule that the FAA released just the week prior. As in Houston, he also re-emphasized the essential need for users of Chinese-made drones to transition to other manufacturers, and stressed how counter-UAS guidance in the Executive Orders needs to be paired with new legislation for expanded authorities.
Session speakers included representatives from federal agencies such as USDOT, FAA, FCC, DHS, and TSA, along with Congressional staffers and a number of leaders in industry. Most speakers referenced the new White House Executive Orders, and many remarked on the need for Part 108 or for new CUAS legislation. In both cases the community will have to keep waiting, although speakers from the FAA and USDOT told attendees that the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) for Part 108 would be released soon [note: the draft Part 108 rule was finally released the week following the Symposium]. Many speakers also described the need for new counter-UAS authorities, both to provide greater flexibility for actions across federal agencies but also to finally provide greater detection capabilities for state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments. Additionally, speakers described that significant funding for CUAS systems was in the works, particularly as the community plans for upcoming international events such as the World Cup in 2026.
Ultimately there were no big hoped-for announcements at the event, but for an industry still working to understand the impact of significant federal layoffs and early retirements, this event was true to its title and provided helpful clarity on the current policy environment. And as always, AUVSI provided a great networking opportunity – in the D.C. heat – for leaders across our industry.
