Green UAS is an expanded framework for certification built off the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU)’s Blue UAS certification program but is designed for non-defense and commercial companies looking to verify their compliance with cybersecurity and supply chain standards.
Green UAS cybersecurity and supply chain risk assessments are held to the same standard as those in Blue UAS but also are expanded upon in the Green UAS program. The certification validates commercial small UAS as cyber-secure and will provide a wider variety of secure sUAS than the current Blue 2.0 list to conduct mission sets.
The assessment and certification process is administered by AUVSI in collaboration with external partners.
The effort is designed to achieve two goals:
- To support the DoD community by supporting efforts to expand DIU’s Blue UAS with vetted drones that meet the same level of cyber security and supply chain requirements as mandated by Congress in the 2020 and 2022 NDAAs.
- To provide a commercial and non-DoD government pathway to ensure trust in drone security, using robust frameworks and additional areas of assessment not included in Blue UAS, and framework flexibility based on customer demands.
Green UAS compliant components also have the opportunity to opt-in to data sharing with the DIU through AUVSI for a seamless review and consideration for addition to the Blue UAS Framework list.
Green UAS was designed to support a broader, scalable network of secure, NDAA-compliant drones for procurement across both public and private sectors. Currently, Green UAS fills a critical gap by offering a trusted, federally aligned vetting process for non-DoD and dual-use systems.
Green UAS also lays the groundwork for a potential pathway into the Blue UAS ecosystem. As DIU transitions to a more distributed model using third-party assessors, Green UAS offers a mature, field-tested compliance process that aligns with DIU’s evolving framework.
AUVSI is actively working with DIU on the evolution of this pathway to ensure greater alignment and flexibility. In the meantime, Green UAS-compliant components may opt in to data sharing through AUVSI to enable seamless review and consideration for potential inclusion in the Blue UAS Framework.
This alignment ensures Green UAS participants are well-positioned as trusted autonomy requirements continue to scale across defense and government markets.
AUVSI’s Trusted Cyber Program has been a partner with DIU since 2022, when the two organizations announced a collaboration to build a shared commercial cyber standard.
AUVSI believes a “Green UAS cleared list” is a solution to existing Blue UAS challenges that will serve the domestic UAS community, end-users, and federal partners.
This falls squarely in line with our mission to help drive domestic market demand and provide a more competitive marketplace for all.
AUVSI’s goal is for companies to move through the process and to come out on the other side with the same degree of trust in the system as they would have had they went through that process with DIU directly.
AUVSI, a not-for-profit organization, has invested significant funds into developing the Trusted Cyber Program and the Green UAS certification. The certification fee helps to offset the investments AUVSI has made into this industry service and cover the on-going product costs incurred.
AUVSI is actively seeking sources of funding – federal, state, local, tribal, private-sector – to offset the costs for our industry, however, at this time and for the foreseeable future, we must continue to charge a small fee to cover our own costs.
Yes, like the Blue UAS program, if a drone is found to have a deficiency in the security controls assessment or the vulnerability and penetration test, the company will have the option to pause the assessment to address the shortcoming to meet the Green UAS framework and ensure compliance.
Each company can choose to work with the assessor conducting the ongoing assessment or go to an outside cybersecurity vendor, if needed, to address the challenges. If multiple shortcomings are found, companies will only be allowed to restart the assessment process once all areas are addressed. This is to preserve the bandwidth of our assessor teams.
No. Third party assessments can be uploaded for review which may help streamline the process, but we have set forth a standard core evaluation with controls that must be followed to achieve Green UAS certification.
