Montana-based drone company says designation validates long-term commitment to secure U.S. manufacturing
Skyfish has achieved both Blue UAS Cleared status and Green UAS certification, marking a significant milestone for the U.S.-based drone manufacturer as demand grows for secure and domestically sourced drone systems in government and critical infrastructure operations.
The announcement was made May 28 by Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International and Skyfish.
The designations recognize that the Skyfish platform meets cybersecurity, supply chain, and operational standards aligned with the Defense Innovation Unit’s Blue UAS initiative. The Green UAS program, administered by AUVSI, provides a pathway for commercial drone manufacturers to demonstrate compliance with those requirements.
For Skyfish CEO Dr. Orest Pilskalns, the certification reflects a strategy the company has followed since its founding rather than a change in direction.
“Skyfish has always been committed to NDAA compliance and U.S. manufacturing from the beginning,” Pilskalns told DRONELIFE. “The Blue UAS Cleared designation doesn’t change that commitment, but it lets customers know that Skyfish is secure, trusted, and fully vertically integrated.”
Procurement Advantages for Government Customers
The Blue UAS Cleared list has become increasingly important for government agencies and public safety organizations seeking secure drone systems that comply with federal procurement requirements.
Being included on the list can simplify purchasing decisions for agencies that must evaluate cybersecurity risks, supply chain integrity, and operational reliability before acquiring drone technology.
Pilskalns said the designation removes several barriers that can slow procurement.
“The designation allows government customers to more easily purchase Skyfish drones and trust that Skyfish has a secure supply chain and has been vetted by a government agency,” he said. “There’s the trust factor, the supply chain factor, and the availability factor.”
The Blue UAS initiative emerged as federal agencies increased scrutiny of foreign-made drone systems and components. Over the past several years, NDAA compliance and domestic sourcing have become central themes in the U.S. drone industry, particularly for defense, public safety, and critical infrastructure applications.
Skyfish said its vertically integrated approach helped streamline the certification process. According to Pilskalns, many drone manufacturers face challenges because they lack direct control over critical software, firmware, or hardware components.
“A lot of companies don’t have access to all of their subcomponents or source code, and the process can get bogged down,” he said. “Because Skyfish owns the full stack, we believe we can accelerate additional products onto the Blue UAS Cleared list in the future.”
Focus on Scaling Production
Skyfish develops autonomous drone systems for infrastructure inspection, photogrammetry, digital twin creation, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. The company serves customers in energy, utilities, transportation, public safety, and defense sectors.
In the company’s announcement, Pilskalns described the certification as validation of Skyfish’s focus on secure autonomous systems.
“Achieving Blue UAS Cleared and Green UAS certification status marks a major milestone for Skyfish and validates our commitment to delivering secure, mission-ready autonomous systems,” Pilskalns said in the press release. “As demand accelerates for trusted American drone platforms, Skyfish is uniquely positioned with a fully integrated hardware, software, and autonomy stack purpose-built for enterprise and government operations.”
Now that the designation process is complete, the company plans to focus on scaling operations and increasing customer engagement.
Pilskalns said Skyfish expects to increase flight demonstrations and expand both its team and production capacity to support growing demand.
“Now that Skyfish is Blue UAS cleared, we will be able to offer more products in the very near future that are also Blue,” he said.
The certification process evaluates manufacturers across several categories, including corporate cybersecurity practices, product security, remote operations, and supply chain risk management.
As federal agencies and enterprise customers continue prioritizing secure drone platforms, Blue UAS and Green UAS designations are becoming increasingly important indicators for vendors competing in the government and critical infrastructure markets.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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