As the global leader in airspace security, Dedrone by Axon is at the cutting edge of how drone technology is reshaping public safety, enterprise operations, and defense. The sky is becoming one of the most dynamic and contested domains in modern life, that now demands continuous awareness and coordination. 

The coming years will redefine who protects our airspace and how, as drones become inseparable from daily operations and security missions. The line between “drone use” and “drone defense” is disappearing. 

This 10th Annual Report includes Dedrone by Axon’s predictions for how this new era of airspace will evolve — and how agencies, enterprises, and nations will adapt to a world where awareness and control of the sky defines safety and security.  Airspace is the new front line.

We have examined both counter-drone (AKA counter uncrewed aircraft systems or CUAS) trends as well as positive drone usage across public safety and defense sectors.

Public Safety & Enterprise CUAS

Prediction 1: Exponential Increase in CUAS Adoption Across Public Safety Agencies

From stadiums to state fairs: airspace defense becomes part of every security plan.

Counter-drone systems will expand far beyond airports and stadiums into every major public venue—from outdoor concerts to parades, sports arenas, and civic gatherings. The World Cup in 2026 and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will be the catalysts that normalize counter-drone as part of every large-scale security posture. Expect state and local agencies to begin mandating airspace security audits for any event over a specified attendance threshold.

Prediction 2: Airspace Security Becomes an Enterprise Compliance Standard

In 2026, airspace security will move from emerging technology to corporate requirement. Major facilities—especially those related to energy, logistics, and technology—will begin including drone detection and tracking in routine physical security audits. Insurance providers and risk assessors will start requiring proof of airspace monitoring, just as they do for cybersecurity today. Airspace intelligence will become a built-in layer of enterprise security infrastructure. Counter-drone sensors will integrate into real-time awareness systems that unify land, air, and perimeter data into a single operational picture. Building automation, access control, and video analytics platforms will all ingest airspace telemetry as a standard data stream, giving enterprises continuous visibility from the ground to the sky.

What changes inside the enterprise:

• Airspace security added to compliance checklists for insurance and risk audits.

• Integration into real-time awareness systems connecting land, air, and perimeter monitoring.

• APIs and interoperability standards emerging across physical security, building automation, and video analytics platforms.

Prediction 3: The Great Convergence of Positive and Protective Airspace

Public safety agencies and enterprises will no longer separate “drone use” from “drone defense.” DFR fleets, delivery operators, and counter-UAS systems will operate within a shared airspace layer where detection, authorization, and deconfliction happen automatically. Airspace awareness will evolve into a common operating picture, connecting public safety, commercial, and enterprise users through shared data and trust protocols. This will blur the line between response and protection—enabling legitimate missions while automatically isolating unknown or unsafe flights.

Prediction 4: The Sky Gets Low Altitude Highways

Governments and industry will begin establishing structured drone corridors — fixed routes in the low-altitude airspace that function like highways for autonomous flight. The first versions will appear near major metro areas and logistics hubs, coordinated between the FAA, state authorities, and major operators like Amazon, Wing, and Zipline. Each corridor will rely on integrated UTM and counter-UAS technology to manage traffic and prevent incursions.

Over time, these drone highways will form a national low-altitude transportation grid, complete with right-of-way rules, altitude tiers, and enforcement mechanisms — the foundation for safe, scalable drone operations in shared airspace.

Drone Usage: Drone as First Responder, Delivery, Inspection and More

Prediction 5: Drones Become Standard Equipment for Law Enforcement

Drones will evolve from a specialized resource into standard patrol gear. Every officer or patrol vehicle will have a small, easily deployable drone for close-quarters and indoor operations—giving officers immediate eyes on a scene during building searches and other confined-space incidents. At the same time, dock-based patrol drones will handle the majority of calls for service and situational awareness. These highly automated systems will launch, recharge, and redeploy on their own, providing continuous overwatch and rapid response across an agency’s coverage area. Together, they will deliver layered aerial support that shortens response times and extends visibility without adding personnel.

Prediction 6: Shared Air Support Across Agencies

Public safety agencies will begin pooling Drone as First Responder (DFR) resources into local airspace networks. Cloud-based tasking, shared flight zones, and unified command dashboards will let police, fire, and EMS access the same docked drone fleets across neighboring jurisdictions. AI-based flight management will enable one operator to supervise multiple drones simultaneously across active incidents, extending real-time coverage citywide without adding staff. Expect the first public-private DFR consortiums to emerge, delivering local mutual-aid coverage for emergencies, pursuits, and natural disasters.

Prediction 7: Part 108 Opens the Skies and Drives the Need for Integrated Airspace Management

In 2026, the US FAA will finalize Part 108, unlocking routine BVLOS operations and fuelling mass drone adoption across delivery, inspection, and DFR programs. The rule will clarify right-of-way responsibilities and legitimize autonomous flight at scale. Yet as more authorized drones take flight, airspace deconfliction and counter-UAS will become more critical than ever. Part 108 will expand the need for integrated airspace management, blending drone operations, UTM, and counter-UAS into one connected ecosystem. Additionally, these new standards in the US will encourage other countries to follow suit. The EU, UK, and Australia will begin harmonizing around similar right-of-way and BVLOS standards to enable commercial drone corridors. Global companies like Amazon, UPS, and Zipline will demand consistent counter-UAS frameworks at the same time, creating new opportunities for exportable airspace-security tech.

Defense CUAS

Prediction 8: UAS Types & Usage Shifts

In 2026, the concept of “airspace defense” will expand into multi-domain defense of uncrewed systems, transforming how militaries and public safety agencies think about threat detection and response. Expect increased operational use of Uncrewed Underwater Vehicles (UUVs), Uncrewed Surface Vehicles (USVs) and Uncrewed Ground Vehicles (UGVs), all of which are capable of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and payload delivery missions within their respective operational environments. Micro-sized drones, including insect-like “cybugs” and bio-hybrid platforms, will move from prototype to field testing, offering near-undetectable capabilities for espionage, sabotage, or facility infiltration. Simultaneously, nations will accelerate investment in autonomous or semi-autonomous interceptor drones designed to disable or capture hostile drones in midair, bridging the gap between electronic warfare that disrupts signals and traditional kinetic countermeasures. These will include net-based, kinetic, and energy-based systems, purpose-built to operate safely over populated or sensitive areas. As RF-based defenses become ubiquitous, adversaries will shift toward RF-silent and fully autonomous drones, rendering legacy RF-controlled systems obsolete. 

Prediction 9: Defense Primes Will Begin to Operate with More of a Startup Mindset 

Long development  timelines and proprietary hardware / software will become increasingly unacceptable to defense customers.  With speed to field becoming a procurement requirement, traditional defense primes will begin to operate more like startups, leveraging open architecture designs and making decisions to buy versus build more often. 

Prediction 10: Shift from CUAS “Air Walls” to Fully Networked & Integrated CUAS Systems

Air walls which exist only at the border are no longer sufficient. We have seen that drones can be smuggled into a country while powered off and then take off once they are well past the air wall – in depth – conducting devastatingly effective missions. These incidents will not only push nations to expand their internal detection networks but also to form multi-country CUAS collaborations, beginning in Europe and later extending through NATO and Indo-Pacific partnerships.  These networks will expand on the initial air wall concept by establishing comprehensive networked CUAS systems which exist not only at the border, but also deep within each country.  These CUAS coalitions will leverage shared airspace intelligence protocols, enabling the exchange of drone signatures, RF telemetry, and incident data in real time.

Prediction 11: AI-Mediated Engagement Decisions

The next evolution of counter-UAS systems will pair AI decision-support with human oversight, mirroring missile-defense frameworks. Automated sensors and targeting algorithms will evaluate speed, flight path, and threat behavior to generate real-time “shoot/no-shoot” recommendations, placing humans on the loop rather than fully in control. This model will enable faster, safer responses in complex airspace and reduce the cognitive burden on operators managing multiple threats at once. Ethical and policy debates will intensify as militaries test the balance between automation and accountability in kinetic engagements.

This year’s predictions highlight the rapid convergence of drone operations and airspace security. Public safety agencies are integrating drones into daily response. Enterprises are expanding their use of aerial data. Governments are redefining airspace policy while preparing for new classes of threats.

Drones now serve every mission — and challenge every boundary. The next phase of airspace security is about managing coexistence and countering threats across defense, public safety, and enterprise domains.

Boneyard

Prediction 8: Airspace Defense Becomes Multi-Domain Defense

The counter-drone mission will no longer be isolated to the air. In 2026, we’ll see increased use of underwater, surface, ground-based and micro-sized uncrewed systems, requiring integrated command and sensor layers across domains.

• Uncrewed Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) used to surveil or conduct attacks on maritime vessels or infrastructure.

• Uncrewed Ground Vehicles (UGVs) adapted for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and payload delivery missions.  

• Uncrewed Surface Vehicles (USVs) used for surveillance or to conduct attacks on maritime vessels or critical infrastructure.

• Micro Uncrewed Vehicles such as Insect-sized “cybugs” and bio-hybrid drones will move from experimental to operational testing.  Their small size, low heat output, and biological camouflage will make them nearly undetectable to conventional sensors, enabling new forms of espionage, sabotage, and infiltration inside secure facilities

Prediction 9: Rise of ‘Drone-on-Drone’ Interceptors

Expect an explosion of interceptor drone programs — autonomous or semi-autonomous UAS designed to physically disable or capture hostile drones midair. They will bridge the gap between “soft kill” electronic measures and conventional firepower. Methods will include net-based, kinetic, and energy-based interceptors that can operate safely over populated areas.

Prediction 10: Radio Frequency (RF) Controlled Drones Will Become Obsolete on the Battlefield

As RF-based counter-drone technology is fully integrated at the tactical edge, adversaries will all but abandon traditional RF controlled drones, instead focusing on RF-silent, autonomous technology.