The Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) has received a general fund appropriation to make available one-time grant funding to replace certain unmanned aircraft through the Unmanned Aircraft Trade and Replace Grant Program. Only local first responder agencies in Virginia are eligible for this grant program.
As previously reported, consistent with Appropriation Act language, the unmanned aircraft being replaced through this program are those manufactured by countries designated as a foreign adversary in the Code of Virginia § 55.1-507, with unmanned aircraft manufactured or assembled by a country not covered by section 1822 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2024. The countries listed in the NDAA as foreign adversaries are the People’s Republic of China (including Hong Kong), Cuba, Iran, North Korea, the Russian Federation, and Venezuela. The unmanned aircraft eligible to be replaced by this grant program are only those used by Virginia first responder agencies, including local law enforcement agencies, local fire or ambulance service providers, and other local first responders. The terms “unmanned aircraft” and “drone” as used in the Unmanned Aircraft Trade and Replace Program are interchangeable.
Local law enforcement agencies, local fire or ambulance service providers, or other local first responders are eligible to apply for this grant. This grant program is available to replace only unmanned aircraft currently in use by eligible local Virginia first responder agencies.
Applications must be submitted in the DCJS Online Grants Management System (OGMS) no later than 5:00 p.m. on October 24, 2025. More information on the grant program and the program guidelines can be found here and here respectively.
VACo Contact: Jeremy R. Bennett