FCC Updates Covered List, Introduces First Conditional Approvals for Drone Systems

The FCC has formally activated a new approval pathway for drone systems, marking the first time specific aircraft and communications components have been identified under its Conditional Approval process. According to a public notice issued March 18, 2026, four systems received time-limited exemptions from Covered List restrictions: SiFly Aviation Q12 Drone System, Mobilicom SkyHopper Series including its tactical data link and security software, ScoutDI Scout 137 Drone System, and Verge Aero X1 Drone System. All approvals run through December 31, 2026.

The action builds on the FCC December 2025 decision to add foreign-produced unmanned aircraft systems and critical components to the Covered List — a move that tightened equipment authorization rules on national security grounds. The new Conditional Approval process creates a case-by-case route for companies to seek exemption, with the FCC coordinating determinations alongside the Department of War and the Department of Homeland Security.

What is notable is that the pathway covers both complete aircraft and communications infrastructure. Mobilicom inclusion — a data link and security software platform — signals that the approval is not limited to airframes. Systems-level components that touch command-and-control, telemetry, or network security are within scope.

This Conditional Approval process now sits alongside several other frameworks that define what counts as a trusted drone system in the U.S. market. The Defense Contract Management Agency Blue UAS Cleared List remains the reference standard for defense procurement. The AUVSI Green UAS Certification program, developed with federal input, has emerged as an industry-led route that serves both commercial and government buyers and can function as a stepping stone toward Blue UAS status. The FCC new pathway adds another layer — one that operates through the Covered List mechanism rather than through procurement channels.

For the robotics and automation beat, this matters in a specific way: the drone industry has been operating under a cloud of regulatory uncertainty about what hardware is and is not eligible for U.S. deployment. The Covered List restrictions, combined with ongoing supply chain scrutiny, have made it harder for commercial operators — and some federal buyers — to plan infrastructure investments. A functioning Conditional Approval pathway, even a temporary one, provides a data point: here is a defined process, here are systems that passed through it, here is when it expires.

The December 2026 expiration is the obvious asterisk. Conditional Approval does not mean permanent clearance. All four systems will need to be re-evaluated or their status will revert. Whether that re-evaluation happens smoothly, whether the pathway expands to more systems, and whether it outlasts the current administration are all open questions. The FCC notice does not provide detailed reasoning for individual approvals, which means the decision criteria remain somewhat opaque — useful for the companies that got through, harder for others trying to model their odds.

The broader pattern is toward a more layered approach to drone trust frameworks. Rather than a single federal standard, manufacturers and operators now navigate overlapping programs tied to different agencies and use cases. For well-resourced companies with government market strategies, that complexity is manageable. For smaller commercial operators trying to understand what equipment they can lawfully deploy, it adds friction.

The human angle here is the workforce and procurement story: organizations that have been waiting for regulatory clarity before committing to drone infrastructure just got a little more information. Not enough to plan around, but enough to know the mechanism exists. Whether it scales, survives the end of this year, and becomes something operators can actually rely on is the question that will determine whether this announcement is a milestone or a footnote.

This article synthesizes reporting by DRONELIFE on the FCC March 18, 2026 public notice DA-26-253, with context on the Blue UAS and Green UAS frameworks drawn from public federal and industry sources.