# FAA Awards $12 Million Drone Research

On October 6, 2026, the Federal Aviation Administration announced $12 million in completed UAS Broad Agency Announcement Program awards to 19 companies and Oklahoma State University for research and testing to safely integrate drones into the National Airspace System. Projects address collision avoidance, traffic management and coordination, communications and satellite connectivity, identity verification, counter-drone sensing, cargo operations, and AI. These awards are not an open solicitation; the FAA points prospective participants to its UAS BAA Program for future research opportunities and potential test-site collaboration.

- The award portfolio spans safety, airspace management, communications, and operational capabilities, creating potential subcontracting and technology opportunities for firms working in unmanned aviation and related systems.
- Companies seeking future FAA-funded research can use the UAS BAA Program as the identified route for upcoming opportunities; the announcement provides no submission deadline for a current solicitation.
- The research is intended to inform safe integration into the National Airspace System, making the results relevant to contractors developing drone detection, traffic coordination, connectivity, identity, and autonomy solutions.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Transportation, Information Technology
**Topics:** Digital Infrastructure, Artificial Intelligence
**Published:** October 06, 2026

### Government Entities
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
- United States Department of Transportation (DOT)
- Oklahoma State University

### Vendors
- General Atomics (awardee)
- ANRA Technologies (awardee)
- SPS Aerial Remote Sensing (awardee)
- DroneUp LLC (awardee)
- Censys Technologies Corp (awardee)

### Key Quotes
> The research supported through this program will give us better data, help us identify and understand operational challenges, and inform how we safely integrate these aircraft into the National Airspace System.
> — Bryan Bedford, FAA Administrator

### Sources
- [FAA Funds Drone Research to Support Safe Integration | Federal Aviation Administration](https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-funds-drone-research-support-safe-integration) - FAA
- [FAA Awards 19 Companies Drone Integration Funding](https://www.executivegov.com/articles/faa-uas-baa-drone-integration-research-awards) - ExecutiveGov