DJI launches the folding Matrice 5T with 1K thermal. Its radio specs list four regulators, and the FCC is not one.
DJI's November 5 release says the enterprise drone is on sale through authorized dealers and names no country or price. Its spec page lists radio figures under IC, CE, SRRC, and MIC, with no FCC entry.
By Joel Kelly
More onDJIFCC & the Covered List
Decision brief
If you buy for a U.S. agency or company, ask the dealer for the aircraft's FCC ID and look it up before you plan around it. The FCC says new models of devices on its Covered List cannot be imported or sold in the U.S., and foreign-made drones are on that list unless an exception applies.
- Thermal camera
- 1280 x 1024
- Radio figures listed under
- IC, CE, SRRC, MIC
- Availability
- Authorized dealers
Up to 2560 x 2048 with UHR Infrared Image on, per DJI
DJI's Matrice 5T spec page has no FCC entry
The release names no country or price
The aircraft
What DJI announced.
DJI introduced the Matrice 5T on November 5 and calls it the company's newest compact enterprise flagship. DJI says it pairs LiDAR, mmWave radar, and vision sensing with a 1280 by 1024 thermal camera, and rates it IP55 for dust and rain. DJI lists up to 59 minutes of flight, from a no-wind wind-tunnel test at about 9 m/s with no payload. The spec page gives a 2,239 g takeoff weight and a 400 g maximum payload. The release says the drone is available for purchase today from authorized DJI Enterprise dealers. It names no country and gives no price.
The spec page
Four regulators, and a range claim that crosses rule sets.
DJI's spec page lists radio power against four regulator labels: IC for Canada, CE for Europe, SRRC for China, and MIC for Japan. The letters FCC do not appear on the page. The Matrice 4 series page lists FCC power figures and a 25 km FCC range. That matters for one claim in the release, which says the new drone transmits up to 40 km, "up from the previous generation's 25 km." The release does not name the earlier aircraft. On DJI's pages, 40 km is the 5T's IC figure and 25 km is the Matrice 4 series FCC figure. Under CE, the two pages list 20 km and 12 km.
The U.S. rule
What the Covered List says about new models.
The FCC's Covered List includes uncrewed aircraft and critical components "produced in a foreign country." Its exceptions cover the Blue UAS Cleared List, certain domestic end products, devices with Conditional Approval, and toy drones. No DJI product appears in the page's approvals. The FCC's FAQ says new models of covered devices "are prohibited from receiving FCC authorization" and so cannot be imported or sold in the U.S. It also says additions to the list do not bar the import, sale, or use of existing models the FCC already authorized. Neither DJI's pages nor the FCC's say whether the 5T has FCC authorization.
Where it sells
Dealers, and what buyers are told.
The release mentions U.S. users once, saying they "no longer have the option to sync their flight logs with DJI servers." Asked whether the 5T can be used across countries or regions, DJI's FAQ answers "No" and tells buyers to confirm the applicable ones with a dealer before purchasing. It names none. DroneXL reported that launch-morning searches at U.S. dealers Advexure and Drone Nerds did not turn up the aircraft. U.K. dealer Heliguy lists a pre-order at $8,655.40 before VAT and shipping, with the first batch expected the week of November 23 and the battery sold separately.
Source file
Verify the reporting
- DJI: DJI Matrice 5T Uplevels Intelligent Aerial Operations, Day or Night for Challenging Missions (November 5, 2026)
- DJI Enterprise: Matrice 5T specs (read November 5, 2026)
- DJI Enterprise: Matrice 5T FAQ (read November 5, 2026)
- DJI Enterprise: Matrice 4 series specs (read November 5, 2026)
- FCC: List of Equipment and Services Covered by Section 2 of the Secure Networks Act (read November 5, 2026)
- FCC: Covered List FAQs, UAS and UAS Critical Components
- DroneXL: DJI Matrice 5T Puts 1K Thermal in a Folding Drone the US Can't Buy (November 5, 2026)
- Heliguy: DJI Matrice 5T product page (read November 5, 2026)
Continue this beat
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