If you build drones or drone components and want to sell to the U.S. government, the Blue UAS Cleared List is the roster you need to be on. It is DoD's list of unmanned aircraft that are NDAA-compliant, supply-chain trusted, and cyber-approved for federal use — as of early 2026 it holds more than 50 platforms. Being on it means a DoD buyer can procure your drone without re-litigating security every time.
The Defense Innovation Unit created and grew the list, but in December 2025 the Cleared List transitioned to the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA). DIU still runs the Blue Portal and the assessment framework; DCMA now owns the cleared-list operations. If you read a 2023-era guide, assume some of it is stale.
2026 change to know: the Cleared List officially moved from DIU to DCMA in December 2025, and assessments now flow through third-party Recognized Assessors (initial cohort: MTSI, Dark Wolf Solutions, AUVSI). Check the live Blue UAS site before assuming any older process still applies.
See if you qualify for an Ansys eval The MVP playbook →To scale throughput, DIU stood up Recognized Assessors — vetted third parties that perform platform and component assessments so you are not stuck in a single government bottleneck. The initial cohort included MTSI, Dark Wolf Solutions, and AUVSI. Component makers can get on the framework's component list, which platform integrators then draw from — a faster route than clearing a whole aircraft.
Assessment slots are finite, so arrive ready. Teams that show up with a documented compliant BOM, a security package, and performance evidence move faster. Simulation and hardware-in-the-loop testing help you validate flight performance, RF resilience, and mission behavior before a formal operational assessment — turning “we think it works” into a data set an assessor can review. The same evidence strengthens the DIU solution brief you use to win the sponsoring contract in the first place.
Read the official Blue UAS page for the current portal, forms, and the up-to-date Cleared List. Then line up your sponsor and your compliant supply chain in parallel — they are the two things that gate everything else.
Official sources: DIU — Blue UAS · DIU — Blue UAS List transitions to DCMA · DIU — Blue UAS updates & Recognized Assessors. Figures change; confirm on the official page before relying on them.
