Glossary.

Annual legislation that authorizes US defense spending and sets policy for the Department of Defense. Two sections are critical for drone procurement:

• §848 FY2020 — First prohibited DoD from procuring covered UAS and their components from entities linked to China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
• §817 FY2023 — Strengthened and expanded the §848 restrictions, tightened entity definitions, and added operational restrictions on existing inventory.

Together, these sections make NDAA compliance a mandatory threshold for any ESC used in a DoD drone program. The American Security Drone Act (ASDA) FY2024 then extended these restrictions to the entire federal government.

Any part of a drone that is manufactured or substantially transformed by a covered foreign entity. The NDAA explicitly lists covered components to include:

• — Electronic speed controllers (ESCs)
• — Flight controllers
• — Ground control stations
• — Cameras
• — Radios and communications modules
• — Data transmission devices
• — Operating software

Federal drone programs cannot use covered components regardless of final assembly location, branding, or distribution channel. A Chinese-manufactured ESC sold under a Western label is still a covered component.

A company owned, controlled by, or affiliated with the government of China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea, as determined by the Secretary of Defense under NDAA Section 1237. The DoD maintains and updates the list. Components manufactured or substantially transformed by any entity on this list are automatically covered components — procurement of which is prohibited for federal agencies.

The American Security Drone Act, enacted as part of the FY2024 National Defense Authorization Act, extends the NDAA §848/§817 covered-UAS prohibitions from the DoD to the entire federal government. Under ASDA:

• — All federal agencies are prohibited from procuring covered UAS or covered components.
• — An operational ban on already-owned covered UAS took effect December 2025.
• — Exception processes are limited and require agency-level justification.

ASDA dramatically expanded the addressable market for compliant domestic suppliers by making compliance a requirement not just for DoD programs but for every civilian federal agency.

Executive Order 13981 directs federal agencies to prioritize domestically sourced hardware for national security applications, reinforcing existing NDAA restrictions on foreign-manufactured components in defense and federal technology supply chains. For drone programs, EO 13981 provides an additional compliance basis beyond the NDAA statutes — particularly relevant for agencies with procurement vehicles that reference executive orders alongside FAR clauses.

The Defense Innovation Unit's Blue UAS Framework is the DoD's pre-vetted list of drones and components that have passed independent supply-chain and cybersecurity review. Inclusion signals that a product meets the policy, security, and sourcing standards required for DoD procurement without requiring each individual program office to conduct its own evaluation. The review is conducted by DIU in coordination with the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA). Lirith is currently pursuing Blue UAS listing for the QuadDrive 80A.

Federal law requiring that goods purchased for use in the United States by federal agencies be manufactured domestically. For a product to qualify as a "domestic end product," it must be manufactured in the US and at least 55% of its component cost must be domestic (the threshold has been rising under recent executive actions). Drone OEMs bidding on federal contracts must demonstrate that their BOM and their suppliers' BOMs meet this threshold — which is why having a US-made ESC with documented component sourcing matters.

The Trade Agreements Act governs which foreign countries' products are eligible for US federal procurement under trade agreement exceptions to the Buy American Act. TAA-compliant products must be manufactured in the US or a designated country (the list excludes China, Russia, and other covered-entity nations). For drone components, TAA compliance is a separate requirement from NDAA compliance, but the two are often evaluated together in federal solicitations referencing FAR 52.225-series clauses.

The primary set of rules governing how the US federal government purchases goods and services. FAR clauses relevant to drone procurement include the 52.225 series (Buy American Act and Trade Agreements Act) and those implementing NDAA restrictions on covered components. Drone OEMs bidding on federal contracts flow FAR 52.225 compliance requirements down to their component suppliers — making supplier-level documentation (CoC, CoO, BOM) a contractual obligation, not just a best practice.

Department of Defense classification for unmanned aerial systems weighing less than 20 pounds. Group 1 sUAS are the most widely deployed tactical drones in DoD and federal programs — including ISR quadcopters, FPV strike platforms, and short-range logistics vehicles. The Lirith QuadDrive 80A is designed for Group 1 platforms operating on 4S–6S battery packs with 2204–3510 motors.

DoD classification for unmanned aerial systems weighing 21–55 pounds. Group 2 platforms include medium-endurance multi-payload drones, larger ISR platforms, and carrier-style vehicles. The QuadDrive 80A's 80A continuous / 100A peak current rating and 6S battery support cover the full performance envelope of Group 2 quadcopter and hexacopter configurations.

The electronic module that translates flight controller throttle commands into precise 3-phase AC current waveforms to drive brushless DC motors. A quad ESC integrates four independent motor controllers on one board. ESC functions include: commutation timing, current limiting, thermal protection, battery voltage monitoring, and telemetry reporting. Under NDAA §848, ESCs are explicitly listed as covered components — a Chinese-manufactured ESC in a federal drone program is a compliance violation regardless of which brand name is on the package.

The standard motor type used in drone propulsion. BLDC motors require an ESC to operate — the ESC synthesizes the 3-phase AC waveform needed to drive the motor's permanent-magnet rotor. Motor performance (KV rating, stator size, winding configuration) determines which ESC current rating and battery voltage are appropriate for a given airframe.

A digital communication protocol between flight controllers and ESCs that replaces analog PWM. Dshot transmits a 16-bit packet per update cycle: 11 bits of throttle command, 1 telemetry request bit, and a 4-bit CRC. Unlike PWM, Dshot is immune to signal noise, requires no calibration, and supports bidirectional communication (allowing ESC telemetry to travel back over the same wire). Dshot 300 and Dshot 600 are the most common variants, named by their bit rate in kbps. The QuadDrive 80A supports Dshot 300/600.

An open-source ESC firmware designed for STM32-based ESC hardware. AM32 supports Dshot 300/600, bidirectional Dshot telemetry, PWM, servo modes, and CAN. It is developed and maintained in the United States and is not manufactured or controlled by any covered foreign entity — making it the preferred firmware for NDAA-compliant ESC designs. The QuadDrive 80A ships with AM32 as its primary firmware.

A widely used ESC firmware suite with two main variants: BLHeli_S (for 8-bit hardware) and BLHeli_32 (for 32-bit hardware with more advanced features). BLHeli_32 supports Dshot 300/600/1200, bidirectional Dshot, and ESC configurator software. The QuadDrive 80A also supports BLHeli firmware for customers who prefer its configuration tooling.

A voltage regulator integrated into an ESC that steps down the main battery voltage (e.g., 22.2V for 6S) to provide clean regulated power for the flight controller, receivers, cameras, and other peripherals. The QuadDrive 80A provides three BEC rails: 3.3V/3A, 5V/3A, and 12V/1A — sufficient to power a full avionics suite without a separate power distribution board.

A thin polymer film applied to a PCB after assembly to protect against moisture, condensation, salt spray, fungus, and dust. Full-board conformal coating is standard on the QuadDrive 80A — a requirement for any ESC deployed in maritime, high-humidity, or arctic environments. Coating types include acrylic (AR), silicone (SR), polyurethane (UR), and epoxy (ER); choice depends on operating temperature range and repairability requirements.

A structured list of every component in a product, including manufacturer name, part number, country of origin, and approved alternates. For NDAA compliance, a BOM must demonstrate that no component is sourced from a covered foreign entity. Lirith maintains a component-level BOM with manufacturer and country-of-origin for every line item; this document is available to qualified buyers on request.

A signed attestation from the manufacturer that a specific product, lot, or batch conforms to applicable regulatory requirements. For drone components, the CoC typically attests conformance to NDAA §848 FY20, §817 FY23, ASDA FY24, and EO 13981. Lirith issues a CoC per unit and per lot as standard practice — it is not a separately priced add-on. The CoC is the primary document procurement offices use to verify NDAA compliance at delivery.