President Trump issues Executive Orders to promote the development of Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Supersonic Flight

A recent set of aviation related Executive Orders aim to promote the commercial development of unmanned aircraft systems (“UAS”) and supersonic flight in the United States by reducing regulatory burden and providing incentives for the manufacturing of and use of new technologies for UAS and supersonic aircraft and their components. 

The Executive Orders

On June 6, 2025, President Trump issued two executive orders, entitled “Unleashing American Drone Dominance” and “Leading the World in Supersonic Flight”, which intend to bolster US-led supersonic aviation and UAS deployment efforts. The Executive Orders call upon multiple agencies (including the Departments of Transportation, Defense (“DOD”), State, Energy, Homeland Security, and Commerce, the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”), the Office of Science and Technology Policy (“OSTP”), the Federal Acquisition Security Council, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (“NASA”), the US International Development Finance Corporation (“DFC”), the US Trade and Development Agency (“TDA”) and the Export-Import Bank (“EXIM”), among others) to accelerate production of these emerging aviation technologies and set their related regulatory standards.  With these steps, the Administration seeks to modernize the aerospace industry of the United States, incentivizing innovation and avoiding dependence on foreign technology. 

Immediate Action on Expanding UAS Operations

The Executive Order, “Unleashing American Drone Dominance” requires various federal agencies to take specific actions, within the next six to eight months,  to expand commercial UAS operations, integrate UAS into the US airspace system, and strengthen the production and export of US UAS, as follows:

The Secretary of Transportation, acting through the FAA Administrator, must:

• issue a proposed rule enabling routine Beyond Visual Line of Sight (“BVLOS”) operations for UAS for commercial and public safety purposes (by July 6, 2025) and publish a final rule, as appropriate (by February 1, 2026);
• establish clear metrics to assess BVLOS operational performance and safety (by July 6, 2025), and delineate additional regulatory barriers and challenges to BVLOS implementation, with recommendations to the Director of OSTP to inform and address future rulemaking or legislative actions (by December 3, 2025);
• immediately explore options so that UAS flights beginning and ending in US airspace or US-owned maritime facilities can operate without the Convention on International Civil Aviation’s requirements for manned aircraft engaging in international navigation;
• publish an updated roadmap for the integration of civil UAS into the National Airspace System (by February 1, 2026); and
• fully utilize FAA UAS Test Ranges to develop, test and scale US drone technologies, with particular focus on BVLOS operations, autonomous operations, advanced air mobility, and other advanced operations; and at such ranges, prioritize generating safety and performance data to inform FAA rulemaking, identify regulatory gaps and operational challenges, and support the integration of emerging UAS capabilities into the National Airspace System.

The Secretary of Transportation, acting through the FAA Administrator, must coordinate with the Director of OSTP to establish the Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (“eVTOL”) Integration Pilot Program (“eIPP”) under FAA’s BEYOND Program, and specifically:

• issue public request for proposals to State, local, tribal, and territorial governments (by September 4, 2025), for which qualified parties (i.e., those partnering with a private sector entity with demonstrated experience in eVTOL aircraft development, manufacturing, and operations) must submit proposals within 90 days of the request;
• select at least five eVTOL pilot projects (by December 3, 2025) that plan to begin operations within 90 days after any pilot project agreement is established (selection criteria to include (i) use of US-origin eVTOL aircraft and technologies, (ii) representation of economic and geographic operations and proposed public-private partnership models, and (iii) representation of planned operations, such as advanced air mobility, medical response, cargo transport and rural access) and run such eIPP for three years after the date the first pilot project becomes operational, unless extended in the national interest;
• execute eIPP agreements that set forth project goals, regulatory needs, timelines, information sharing and data exchange mechanisms, and responsibilities, using all available authorities to support safe and timely eIPP operations;
• provide initial, interim, and program completion reports to the Director of OSTP: 180 days after selecting the pilot projects, submit an initial implementation report that summarizes early-stage planning, interagency coordination, and any immediate regulatory or legislative challenges; thereafter, submit annual reports and, upon program completion, submit a final report that evaluates program goals and outcomes, recommends the permanent integration of eVTOL operations into the National Airspace, and proposes any future initiatives to maintain US eVTOL leadership;
• utilize eIPP lessons learned to develop regulations, initiatives and plans for safe eVTOL operations, and share such information with the Secretary of Defense, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and heads of other relevant agencies, as appropriate; and
• expand the eIPP to other advanced aviation aircraft as warranted.

The Executive Order also requires all US agencies to prioritize the integration of US-manufactured UAS over those manufactured abroad. In addition, (a) he Federal Acquisition Security Council must publish a Covered Foreign Entity List identifying companies that pose supply chain risks to protect the integrity of the drone supply chain of the US and ensure that US technology remains secure from undue foreign influence and exploitation (by July 6, 2025). and (b) the Secretary of Commerce must take necessary actions, including rulemaking and conducting investigations, to ensure that vital components remain under US control and fee from national security risks (by September 4, 2025).

Various agencies are also tasked with promoting the export and financing of US-manufactured civil UAS; specifically,    

• The Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the Secretaries of State, Defense, and Energy, must review and amend export control regulations to enable the expedited export of US-manufactured civil UAS to foreign partners (by September 4, 2025);
• The Secretary of Commerce must designate as priority the export of US-manufactured civil UAS and must coordinate interagency initiatives to expand market access, reduce foreign trade barriers, and promote international interoperability; and
• The Secretary of Defense, the President of EXIM, the Chief Executive Officer of DFC, and the Director of TDA must prioritize and support the export of US-manufactured civil UAS through: (i) direct loans and loan guarantees; (ii) equity investments and co-financing; (iii) political risk insurance and credit guarantees; (iv) technical assistance, feasibility studies, and grant mechanisms; (v) market access facilitation; and (vi) any other authorized incentive mechanisms.

Promoting US Supersonic Aviation

The “Leading the World in Supersonic Flight” Executive Order tasks the FAA Administrator and other agencies with establishing federal regulatory standards to further the development of supersonic aviation. For that purpose, :

• The FAA Administrator must repeal the ban on overland supersonic flight and establish an interim noise-based certification standard (by December 3, 2025), and remove regulatory barriers to the advancement of supersonic aviation technology;
• The FAA Administrator must issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to establish a standard for supersonic aircraft noise certification (by December 6, 2026);
• The Director of OSTP must, in consultation with the Secretaries of Defense, Commerce, and Transportation, the NASA Administrator, and other relevant agency heads, coordinate supersonic research and development through the National Science and Technology Council, to (i) identify research, development, testing, and evaluation (“RDT&E”) needs for regulatory development, commercial viability and operational integration of supersonic aircraft into the National Airspace System, (ii) coordinate federally funded RDT&E and industry-led testing of supersonic technologies at federal test sites, and (iii) collect and share results of such RDT&E to inform domestic development and international engagement on civil supersonic matters. The Director of OSTP must provide such results to the FAA Administrator for the development of future procedures, regulations, and policies, including those related to civil supersonic aircraft certification and noise and environmental standards;
• The Secretary of Transportation, acting through the FAA Administrator and in consultation with the Director of OSTP, must engage the International Civil Aviation Organization to seek global alignment regarding supersonic regulatory approaches; and
• The FAA Administrator must seek to secure bilateral aviation safety agreements with respect to international supersonic aircraft operations.

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