The General Services Administration will remove from Multiple Award Schedules contracts unmanned aircraft systems and other drones to address potential security risks associated with the use of such devices.
GSA said Tuesday its decision does not cover drones approved by the Defense Innovation Unit under the Blue sUAS program, which seeks to provide the Department of Defense and federal agencies with trusted and secure small drones.
The agency said it will post a 30-day advance notification on GSA Interact before issuing a solicitation refresh informing contractors that no drones, except those approved through Blue sUAS, will be awarded using MAS.
“Should GSA identify and implement an appropriate risk mitigation strategy, affected contractors may have the opportunity to add drones back to MAS contracts,” the notice reads.
A spokesperson for GSA said all non-DIU-cleared UAS will be removed from MAS by Feb. 1, Nextgov reported. DIU-approved drones include those from Altavian, Skydio, Parrot, Teal and Vantage Robotics.
