Can you get a DJI drone that isn't made in China? Meet the Aznu Robotics Raptor...

Adam Juniper
·2 min read
Aznu Raptor.
Aznu Raptor.

Texas-based Anzu Robotics has announced its entrance into the US drone market with a very familiar-looking drone – albeit with a new name – the Raptor and Raptor T.

For many potential customers, DJI drones have represented the best option, technically at least, but for political reasons, many companies – and especially governmental organisations like police and firefighters needing search and rescue tools – have been forced elsewhere.

That has been enormously frustrating for customers with an understanding of their needs and, indeed, the technology since most of the politicians seeking the ban on 'DJI' or 'Chinese' drones seem to lack understanding of the tech and imply the devices are reporting live streams of sensitive video back directly to the communist party headquarters.

Anyway, for those hoping they might still have access to DJI-like tech, it seems there is now a prospect. The Aznu Robotis Raptor – priced from $5,100 – is based (as is reasonably obviously from the images) on the Mavic 3 Enterprise.

Aznu Raptor
Aznu Raptor

So how will the drone avoid being Chinese? Well, according to drone industry followers DroneDJ, the Anzu Raptor is the result of a business partnership with DJI in which Anzu, a Texas-based (so American) company has licensed the hardware specs for the Mavic 3 Enterprise drones.

The software driving the drones comes from a partnership between Anzu and Aloft Technologies, known in the USA for their work on the app B4UFLY. That should mean, at least, that the FAA like them! It also means no 'DJI Fly' app – the 'Aloft Air Control' app is the means of operation. Data captured by the drones is stored don't the SD card only (except, presumably, a live feed for the pilot?)

Manufacturing will take place in Malaysia, while the firmware will be installed and the machine shipped from the facility in Texas.

Drones users in the USA could see this as a good thing – with Jon Hegranes, CEO of Aloft quoted as saying “Powered by Aloft’s cutting-edge software and hosted on our secure, domestic servers, we ensure that every flight captured, every piece of data collected, and every decision made is underpinned by the highest standards of data protection and privacy,” but it's a doubled edged sword for DJI users.

Aloft have worked with Skydio – the US based firm which has ditched consumers – and Hegrane's "Drone Advisory Council" (which he founded) has ever more reason to back US protectionism rather than support a truly open market.

That could lead to more bans like the Florida drone ban that grounded a $200m fleet. The US drone market – just, in fairness, like TikTok – is increasingly about politics and protectionism. Even this amounts to a lot of effort to create what is effectively a loophole (but, until we see one in the flesh, looks a lot like a green effect in Photoshop for now!)

Check our buyers guide to the best thermal drones and the best camera drones.