US President Donald Trump on Friday signed three executive orders aimed at enhancing drone security and promoting future air technologies, including electric air taxis and supersonic commercial aircraft, the White House announced.The new orders will allow drones to operate beyond the visual line of sight of their operators—an important step toward enabling widespread commercial drone deliveries. They also aim to reduce America’s dependence on Chinese drone manufacturers and advance the testing of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, benefiting companies like Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation.To support these efforts, Trump is launching a federal task force to strengthen US control over its airspace. The task force will expand protections around sensitive sites, increase the government’s ability to detect drones in real time, and provide support to state and local law enforcement.According to Reuters, Michael Kratsios, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy said that, Trump further aims to address the “growing threat of criminal terrorists and foreign misuse of drones in US airspace.”“We are securing our borders from national security threats, including in the air, with large-scale public events such as the Olympics and the World Cup on the horizon,” Kratsios added.Sebastian Gorka from the National Security Council highlighted drone threats in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and at US sporting events. The issue of suspicious drones also gained significant attention last year after a flurry of drone sightings in New Jersey. The FAA receives over 100 monthly reports of drone sightings near airports, with incidents disrupting flights and events. “We will be increasing counter-drone capabilities and capacities,” Gorka said.“We will increase the enforcement of current laws to deter two types of individuals: evildoers and idiots,” Gorka added.The orders also instructed the FAA to remove the 1973 ban on overland supersonic transport. Environmental groups have criticised supersonic aircraft for higher fuel consumption per passenger compared to subsonic alternatives.“The reality is that Americans should be able to fly from New York to LA in under four hours,” Kratsios told the Reuters, further adding that, “advances in aerospace engineering, material science and noise reduction now make overland supersonic flight not just possible, but safe, sustainable and commercially viable.”The order directs FAA to repeal the supersonic speed limit as long as aircraft do not produce an audible sonic boom on the ground. Airplane manufacturer Boom Supersonic welcomed the move. Its CEO, Blake Scholl, said: “The supersonic race is on and a new era of commercial flight can begin.”Commercial supersonic flights ended in 2003 with the retirement of the Concorde, used by British Airways and Air France for 27 years. The FAA has been instructed to eliminate the supersonic speed restriction, provided that aircraft maintain noise levels that prevent sonic booms from reaching ground level. The announcement received positive acknowledgement from Boom Supersonic, an aircraft manufacturing company. Its CEO, Blake Scholl, stated: “The supersonic race is on and a new era of commercial flight can begin.”While Trump’s orders do not explicitly ban Chinese drone companies, they come amid growing scrutiny of firms like DJI and Autel Robotics. DJI, the world’s biggest drone maker, supplies over half of all commercial drones used in the US. Although legislation signed by former President Joe Biden last year could ban China-based DJI and Autel Robotics from selling new models in the country. The new orders reinforce the push to reduce US dependence on Chinese technology in critical sectors like aviation and drone operations.
