Drone News Roundup: White House Explains New Jersey Drone Mystery, Air 3S Tour of Shanghai, and More!
BY Zacc Dukowitz
30 January 2025This week we’re covering a recent press briefing from the White House, which explained that the drones over New Jersey were “not the enemy.”
We’re also covering a drone tour of Shanghai shot on the DJI Air 3S, BRINC’s generous drone trade-in program for public safety organizations, new batteries that double drone flight times, and key findings from Skydio’s report on Drone as First Responder (DFR) programs.
Now let’s get to those links!
White House Explains New Jersey Drone Mystery
In a recent press briefing, the White House addressed the mystery surrounding drones spotted over New Jersey and the East Coast in late 2024, clarifying that they were “not the enemy.” According to Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, many of the drones were FAA-approved for research and other purposes, some were flown recreationally by hobbyists, and some were law enforcement drones and crewed aircraft. This statement backed up speculation we’ve reported on from drone industry leaders like Brendan Schulman, former VP of Policy at DJI, who said in a long X thread that he thought the sightings were largely of explainable phenomena.
The White House statement helps alleviate public concerns, which were at a boiling point in December. But one lingering question remains—why didn’t the FAA share information about its research activities when the New Jersey drone frenzy started, instead of waiting months to disclose its role?
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Aerial Tour of Shanghai with the DJI Air 3S
This new video shot by Denis Barbas on the Air 3S takes us on a whirlwind aerial tour of Shanghai, showing us its unique blend of history and futuristic architecture. The city is home to the world’s third tallest building, the Shanghai Tower, which is 2,073 tall. (The Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest at 2,717 feet—watch Johnny’s FPV dive down it here.) Barbas shot this video in just 24 hours. Despite the short time frame, he manages to get iconic shots of the city during the day and at night, showcasing its huge skyscrapers and stunning city lights against the backdrop of the winding Huangpu River.
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BRINC to Give Police Departments Up to $15K to Replace a Drone
Credit: BRINC
BRINC is offering public safety agencies up to $15,000 per drone to replace them—and they don’t have to give up the drone. The replacement program is called BRINC Beyond. BRINC says the program is designed to help public safety agencies transition from generic consumer drones to their purpose-built platforms, which are specifically made for public safety operations. This is one of the most aggressive—and generous—campaigns we’ve ever seen to encourage police and fire departments to switch its drone sourcing to a U.S.-based company, and shows how serious BRINC is about cornering the public safety market.
Here are the details of the BRINC Beyond program:
- Credits of up to $15,000 per drone, depending on the model
- A credit match guarantee, ensuring agencies get the best value
- No trade-in requirement, allowing agencies to continue using their existing fleet while scaling up with BRINC’s purpose-built drones
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New Battery Tech Doubles Drone Flight Times
South Korea-based BEI has developed a battery that can double drone flight times and extend flight distances up to 70%. It can also fly much longer in extreme cold than traditional drone batteries—while most standard lithium-ion batteries last about 10 seconds at -4°F (-20°C), BEI’s batteries lasted for 40 minutes in a trial it conducted. BEI’s batteries accomplish these impressive performance enhancements in part because it has an unprecedented energy density of 410 Wh/kg.1. While the drone industry is applauding these breakthroughs, the next step will be to scale them and make them widely available.
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How Are Public Safety Agencies Using Drones? Skydio’s Report Has Insights
Credit: Skydio
In a new report, Skydio shares data and insights from over 2,000 Drone as First Responder (DFR) flights made with its drones. Skydio says this is the first study ever made of DFR programs. Here are its top findings:
- Officer safety. A significant number of drone deployments were requested by officers themselves to enhance their safety. This use highlights how appealing drones might be compared to helicopter support, since they can provide quick, effective, and inexpensive aerial assistance on demand.
- Nighttime operations. For agencies operating 24/7, 58% of all DFR flights occurred between 8 PM and 8 AM. This statistic underscores the crucial role of drones in nighttime operations.
- Multiple flight requirements. On average, 17% of all calls for service required more than one drone flight. This fact highlights the need for continuous overwatch in many situations, emphasizing the importance of on-station relief and on-scene drone swapping to maintain uninterrupted surveillance and support.
- Diverse call types. DFR operations support a wide range of incident types. The most common calls involved property crimes like burglary, vehicle theft, and robbery. In these cases, drones were dispatched to locate suspects while officers were en route. The 2nd most frequent category included assaults, domestic disturbances, and weapon-related threats, where drones provided critical information to help apprehend suspects and keep officers safe.
Follow the link below to read the full study.
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