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Drone News UpdateAuthor: Pilot Institute
Weekly episodes discussing the latest drone news in the United States. Whether you're a hobbyist or a Part 107 Remote Pilot, staying up to date is important, especially in such a fast-changing industry. Language: en Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Drone News: Avata 360 Launch Date & Resolution, SkyeBrowse Update, & Stolen Military Drones
Friday, 13 March, 2026
Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week. First, DJI officially confirms the Avata 360 launch date and 8K resolution, Another SkyeBrowse update, and a $5,000 reward is being offered after military drones were stolen. Let’s get to it. According to industry reports, the Avata 360 will feature a brand new replaceable lens system. A dedicated lens kit will reportedly cost around 50 euros and include two replacement lenses and the necessary tools. So, if you scratch a lens during a bad landing, you can just swap it out yourself for about 25 euros instead of sending the whole drone in for repair. That's a huge win, and solve a problem we’ve been curious about from the start. We also have leaked battery specs. The new Intelligent Flight Battery will reportedly cost around 70 euros and pack a 38.6 watt-hour capacity. Compare that to the DJI Avata 2, which has a smaller 31.8 watt-hour battery that costs 100 euros. More capacity for less money? The drone is expected to pair with the DJI Goggles N3, and hopefully the goggles 3 as well! However, there's a catch for the average consumer. The Avata 360 reportedly weighs in at almost 400 grams. This means it won't fall into the sub-250 gram category, so you'll need to register it and comply with Remote ID rules to fly legally here in the US. Next up, SkyeBrowse has released another update! If you aren’t familiar, SkyeBrowse builds drone mapping software for public safety agencies, using videogrammetry and photogrammetry technology. The platform is currently used by over 1,200 public safety agencies worldwide for applications such as accident reconstruction, crime scene investigation, and disaster response. This update is to its Flight App, expanding drone compatibility and improving mission planning tools. The update adds support for several new DJI models, including the Mini 4 Pro, Matrice 400, and the Matrice 4 Series, along with new high-performance sensor payloads. The WideBrowse grid scanning workflow was also redesigned, introducing two new capture modes: Cross Grids for added scene detail on low-rise structures, and Side Scan for capturing building facades and vertical surfaces. New features include a live ETA display for pre-flight planning and a Previous Flights tool for reloading and re-flying completed missions with identical settings.On the web platform side, the update adds an AI chat assistant, an image overlay tool for 3D models, expanded file upload support, GLB export improvements, and a broad interface redesign. Keep those coming Bobby! Last up, a $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of individuals who allegedly stole military drones from Fort Campbell in Kentucky. According to the U.S. Army, four Skydio X10D drone systems were taken. If you're not familiar, the X10D is the defense and military variant of the Skydio X10. Reportedly, between November 21st and November 24th, 2025, unknown individuals unlawfully gained access to a building belonging to the 326th Division Engineer Battalion and took the equipment. The Army CID is actively investigating the incident and asking anyone with credible information to submit an anonymous tip. This is one of those don’t be that guy moments… Join us in the Premium community for Post Flight, where we share our opinions that aren’t suitable for YouTube and we’ll see you next week! https://www.wsmv.com/2026/03/10/5k-reward-offered-after-four-military-drones-stolen-fort-campbell/https://dronexl.co/2026/03/06/dji-avata-360-low-pricing-replaceable-lenses/https://dronexl.co/2026/03/10/dji-avata-360-official-teaser-8k-march-26/
