The Blue List Portal streamlines the NDAA compliance process for commercial drone platforms, components, and software, enabling the Department of War (DoW) to expand its inventory of trusted Unmanned Aerial Systems. Designed for professionals in the UAS industry, including manufacturers, suppliers, and developers; the portal offers a structured pathway to achieve NDAA compliance, demonstrate product trustworthiness.

10 U.S.C. § 4127(e) Authorizes the Defense Innovation Unit to identify and support multi-stakeholder research and innovation partnerships that have the potential to generate technologies, processes, products, or solutions that address national defense or security needs, with an objective of technological advancement or commercialization.

Our Recognized Assessor partners support the expansion and execution of compliance assessments for unmanned platforms and components under the Blue UAS initiative. The primary focus is to enable the timely and secure evaluation of commercial drone platforms and components for potential inclusion to the Blue List. Once a submission has been received through the Blue Portal, the Recognized Assessors will be able to provide a cost estimate and timeline to conduct the assessment, and the submitter can determine which proposal makes sense for their situation. Recognized Assessors all work to the same Blue UAS Standard and provide standardized reporting to the government for a certification decision.

The current list of Recognized Assessor partners is:

The process for becoming certified depends on two factors: whether your company is U.S. based, and whether or not you have an O6 (or above) Nominator (or equivalent) that has selected your product for priority assessment and certification.

The updated Blue UAS Cleared List process differentiates between two groups of UAS platforms, components, and software based on the manufacturer's primary headquarters and domicile. These groups are referred as:

Decorative Image of Generic Process Flow

Group A

Platforms, Components, and Software from U.S. companies. Defined as a company whose primary headquarters and domicile are in the United States.

Decorative Image of Generic Process Flow

Group B

Platforms, Components, and Software from non-covered country companies. Defined as a company whose primary headquarters and domicile is outside the United States EXCLUDING the People's Republic of China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea.

Submit your Product for certification through the Blue Portal

Group A Process Flow

Group A (U.S. Companies) seeking to have their platforms, components, and/or software added to the Blue UAS Cleared List can follow one of the two primary paths below.

Option A - O6 (or above) Nomination and O7 (or above) Certification

  1. An O6 (or above) identifies a UAS platform or critical component suitable for rapid fielding. Critical components are identified as UAS manufactured in the U.S., flight controller, radio, data transmission device, camera, gimbal, ground control system, operating software, network connectivity, and data storage.
  2. The O6 (or above) collaborates with the company to compile documentation compliant with the Blue UAS Checklist. The Blue UAS Checklist identifies each critical component, as defined in Section 848 of the 2020 NDAA, to determine whether it is already included on the Blue List or requires a NDAA compliance assessment.
  3. If all critical components are on the Blue List:
    • • The O6 (or above) forwards the nomination to an O7 (or above) General Officer, Flag Officer, or Senior Executive Service (SES) equivalent for certification of the Blue UAS Checklist via the Blue Certification Memo, as per their authority to approve large purchases and certify for the Blue List.
    • • The O7 (or above) submits the signed certification request to the Blue UAS organization, via the Blue Portal, for inclusion on the Blue UAS List.
    • • The Blue UAS organization reviews the submitted Memo and Checklist for addition to the Blue UAS List.
  4. If any critical component is absent from the Blue List:
    • • The O6 (or above) submits the Blue UAS Checklist and request for a compliance assessment through the Blue Portal.
    • • A Recognized Assessor is selected to perform a compliance assessment on each unlisted critical component, at the expense of the vendor, component company, or sponsoring Government entity.
    • • The Recognized Assessor provides a standardized report to the Blue UAS organization through the Blue Portal for evaluation. Based on the submitted Checklist and Assessor's report, the UAS platform and/or critical component(s) will be rejected or added to the Blue List.

Option B - Company-Funded Third-Party Assessment

  1. The U.S. based company submits the completed Blue UAS Checklist for their UAS platform, component, or software through the Blue Portal.
  2. If all critical components are on the Blue List, the Blue UAS organization reviews the submitted Memo and Checklist for addition to the Blue UAS List.
  3. If any critical component is absent from the Blue List:
    • • Via the Blue Portal, the company receives quotes and selects a Recognized Assessor to conduct an NDAA compliance assessment on each unlisted critical component.
    • • The company contracts with the selected Recognized Assessor.
    • • The Recognized Assessor provides a standardized report to the Blue UAS organization through the Blue Portal for evaluation. Based on the Assessor's report, the UAS platform and/or critical component(s) will be rejected or added to the Blue List.

Group B Process Flow

Group B (Non-Covered Country Companies, EXCLUDING the People's Republic of China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea) seeking to have their platforms, components, and/or software added to the Blue UAS Cleared List can follow one of the two primary paths below.

Option A - Empowered Agency Certification

  1. The company engages with an Empowered Agency (as defined in the “Unleashing U.S. Military Drone Dominance” memo) and provides the completed Blue UAS Checklist.
  2. If the Empowered Agency is interested in the product and agrees to certify it, the Empowered Agency will submit a complete Blue UAS Checklist and accompanying Blue UAS Certification Memo to the Blue UAS Organization.
  3. Empowered Agencies include DIU, USD(R&E), USD(A&S) (with DoW CIO), Secretaries of the Military Departments, and USSOCOM. Empowered Agencies are responsible for designating an internal Blue UAS certifying official and informing the Blue UAS organization of that designation.

Option B - Company-Funded Third-Party Assessment (or Agency-contracted RA)

  1. The company submits the completed Blue UAS Checklist for their platform, component, or software to the Blue Portal.
  2. Via the Blue Portal, the company selects a Blue UAS Recognized Assessor (RA, third-party entities that complete NDAA compliance assessments).
  3. The company contracts the selected RA to conduct an NDAA compliance assessment.
  4. The Recognized Assessor provides standard reporting to the Blue UAS organization through the Blue Portal. This process allows for Blue List certification through approved vendors.
  5. The Blue UAS organization certifies the platform, component, or software and adds to the Blue List.