Drone News Roundup: Avata 2 Tour of the Canary Islands, Key Differences Between Senate and House DJI Ban, and More!

This week we’re covering a new drone video shot in the Canary Islands with the DJI Avata 2.

We’re also covering the key differences between the Senate and House versions of the DJI ban bill, news that authorities have intercepted over 50 drones at the Olympics in Paris so far, a big round of firmware updates from DJI, and the DOD’s successful completion of UTM testing for several Blue UAS.

Now let’s get to those links!

Avata 2 Tour of the Canary Islands

With its ocean views, steep cliffs, volcanic deserts, and sprawling natural beauty, the Canary Islands is a stunning place to shoot drone footage. This video made for DJI by YouTuber Joshua Turner showcases just how beautiful the islands are. The video was shot entirely on DJI’s new Avata 2, the latest version of its cinewhoop platform, and includes footage shot on the islands of Tenerife, La Palma, and Lanzarote.

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Key Differences Between the Senate and House DJI Ban

Credit: DJI

When the Senate released its version of the NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) for 2025 it did not include the DJI ban, formally called the Countering CCP Drones Act. (The House version did include that bill, making it seem possible it could become law.) Since then, Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) has proposed an amendment to the Senate version that would add the DJI ban to its version of the NDAA.

Scott’s version of the DJI ban differs from the House version in a few key ways, calling for:

• Identification of Chinese military companies. The Secretary of Defense will review drone manufacturers to determine any connections to the Chinese military.
• Restricting DJI products. DJI is one of the foreign drone manufacturers that is called to be added to the list of companies whose communications and video equipment are restricted from use.
• Establishment of the ‘First Responder Secure Drone Program’. This program would provide grants to local agencies, such as police and fire departments, to purchase drones produced by companies other than a “foreign entity of concern”.

If Scott’s amendment is added the House and Senate will have to agree on the final version, so it’s hard to say which parts of these proposed bills may end up becoming law—if they become law at all. Right now, Senator Scott’s amendment hasn’t even been considered yet, and the DJI ban will have a long road ahead if it is going to get passed with the 2025 NDAA.

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Over 50 Drones Intercepted at Olympics So Far

French law enforcement has taken down 53 drones near Olympic sites since the games began on Friday, July 26. According to French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin, the drones weren’t all flown with malicious intent (though at least a few were, presumably). Darmanin said that many of the intercepted drones were flown by people who were simply breaking the rules about the location, conditions, or altitude at which they could fly. Drones have also been in Olympics news this year as part of a scandal involving the Canadian women’s soccer team, which used a drone to spy on a competitor’s closed practice.

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DJI Releases Firmware Updates for Several Drones, Controllers, and Cameras

Credit: DJI

DJI has released a lot of firmware updates lately. Here they are:

• DJI Matrice 350 RTK (v10.01.00.09)—introduces support for Power Line Follow mode when used with the Zenmuse L2 LiDAR payload, making it easier to create 3D models of power lines.
• DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise series (v10.01.00.14)—introduces optimized obstacle avoidance performance and the addition of a selectable flight start point in the Geometric Route.
• RC controller (v01.03.1700)—fixes minor bugs, ensuring a smoother operation for drone pilots.
• RC 2 controller (v02.02.0300)—addresses several known issues, enhancing the overall performance and reliability of the controller.
• RC Pro controller (v03.02.0900)— fixes minor bugs, ensuring users have a seamless flying experience.
• Zenmuse H30 camera (v10.01.07.03)—includes the addition of automatic night scene level switching based on ambient brightness, and a lot more. This update is big, and it’s the first update since H30’s release back in May.
• Zenmuse L2 LiDAR payload (v03.00.00.05)—enhances LiDAR mapping, improves Point Cloud live view display, reduces drafting during flight, and more.
• DJI Dock 2 (v10.01.1607)—includes multi-dock tasks, RTH logic, optimized battery charging logic, embedded video subtitles, and more.

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DOD Tests Air Force UTM with Blue UAS from Skydio, AgEagle, and Freefly Systems

Credit: DOD

Over three days, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)—the branch of the DOD in charge of the Blue UAS program—tested several Blue UAS with a drone traffic management system developed by the Air Force. Called Collaborative Low-Altitude UAS Integration Effort (CLUE), the Air Force UTM (Uncrewed Traffic Management) system was created by the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) to “enable the safe, secure, and efficient operations of UAS within the national airspace system.” The tests took place at the NY UAS Test Site and included drones from AgEagle, Skydio, and Freefly Systems.

Why should you care about these tests? Because they’re using technology that is at the bleeding edge of drone ops, including data sharing via a multi-network device called the Somewear Node, which was recently added to the Blue UAS Framework. And this technology represents the future not just for defense drone ops, but for commercial drone ops too.

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