US firm Exedy Drones opens reservations for Ayre CX agricultural spray drone
Michigan-based Exedy Drones has begun taking reservations for its US-built Ayre CX spray drone, with first deliveries targeted for spring 2027. The market remains unsettled after the FCC banned sales of new foreign-made drone models.
Exedy Drones, a Michigan-based company owned by EXEDY Globalparts Corporation, part of Japanese automotive drivetrain component maker EXEDY Corp, has opened reservations for its Ayre CX agricultural spray drone. First deliveries are targeted for spring 2027. The company is one of several trying to build US drone manufacturing capability after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) banned sales of new foreign-made drone models in December 2025.
Reservation terms
A reservation costs $1,000 and covers the first 500 aircraft; $750 is refundable until the customer converts it into a purchase deposit. Scott Binder, the company's VP of engineering, operations and technology, said no delivery date is being fixed. Instead, the aircraft must pass milestones, from field validation to spray validation to a production build, and the company will publish each one as it is met. In the first phase, about 20 dealer groups operating from roughly 30 locations will be brought on board.
About the drone
The Ayre CX has a 50-liter (13-gallon) tank, placing it in the mid-size class. It uses locally and globally sourced components, with software written in the US and data held on US servers. Assembly takes place in Southeast Michigan. Some parts are still sourced overseas. Binder said the model received FCC Conditional Approval in July, allowing all components to be imported, sold and operated in the US. That differs from compliance with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which governs what federal agencies and federally funded projects may buy. He acknowledged that an American-made drone will cost more up front, but did not disclose pricing.
Market conditions
The US spray drone market is in flux. Eric Ringer, president of the American Spray Drone Coalition (ASDC), said sales of new spray drones fell 60% in 2025, from 8,950 units in 2024 to 3,711. He attributed this to a lack of supply rather than demand. Shipments from Chinese maker DJI have also been periodically blocked by US Customs and Border Protection over suspected forced labor, which DJI calls categorically false.
