Pierce Aerospace

Pierce Aerospace is a developer of Remote Identification (Remote ID) hardware and persistent airspace monitoring services for unmanned aircraft systems. Remote ID acts as a "digital license plate" for drones, broadcasting identification and telemetry during flight so that receivers on the ground can identify an aircraft and the location of its operator. The company sells a family of passive Remote ID receivers — the YR1 flagship sensor, the solar-powered R2S, and the mobile/tactical R2T — along with the B1 Beacon Remote ID module, a self-contained unit with an eight-hour battery life designed to retrofit existing drone fleets or be integrated by OEMs. The company states that the B1 is the first and only Remote ID module admitted to the Defense Innovation Unit's Blue UAS Framework, and that its receivers and modules are NDAA compliant.

The software side of the business is Flight Portal, including Flight Portal 3D, a browser-based three-dimensional Remote ID display application, and a Remote ID data feed built for third-party integration. The company describes dozens of integrations with systems including TAK/ATAK, CLUE, Unify.C2, FAAD C2, ResilienX, Honeywell's SAMURAI, AV Halo Command, Solipsys, AirWise and Flight Horizon, positioning its receivers as baseline infrastructure for UTM, C2, C-UAS and common-operating-picture systems. Earlier descriptions of the company characterize Flight Portal ID as a network-based identity and tracking system for UAS serving the unmanned traffic management ecosystem.

The company reports deployments at large public events such as the Super Bowl and the World Cup, at Core 30 airports, corporate offices and critical infrastructure sites across the United States, as well as consumer use of solar receivers by homeowners. It participates in industry and regulatory bodies including the ASTM F38 committee on unmanned aircraft systems, the FAA's Drone Safety Team, the FAA Remote ID Cohort, and the FAA Detection and Mitigation Advanced Rulemaking Committee.

Founding story

Aaron Pierce began working in the drone field while pursuing a master's degree in geographic information systems at what was then IUPUI, where a drone research center was being established. Drawing on remote sensing coursework and prior experience as a volunteer EMT and crew member on a Huey helicopter with a civilian nonprofit, he worked with input from NOAA to write the university's drone policy and operations manual, then left graduate study to pursue the industry. Initially focused on the data gaps facing the FAA in writing drone regulations, he identified the questions of who is operating a drone and where the operator is located, which led to Remote ID work beginning in 2017.

Business model

Pierce Aerospace sells Remote ID receiver and beacon hardware plus associated data services and display software to government, commercial, public safety and consumer buyers, with a business model characterized as business-to-government spanning government contracts, hardware sales, and services and consulting. Products are typically acquired through an approved vendor network; for U.S. federal entities the company cites SBIR Phase III authorities that allow sole-source procurement with unlimited award ceilings, and it has competed for and won Remote ID awards on multi-state vehicles with sole-source eligibility across 48 states.

Revenue derives from hardware sales of Remote ID receivers and modules, software and data-feed services, and government contracts and subcontracts, including SBIR Phase III vehicles and IDIQ subcontract task orders.

Traction

The company reports multiple SBIR Phase I through Phase III awards beginning in 2018 with the U.S. Air Force, DHS and NASA, plus FAA-sponsored efforts, and an Indiana Economic Development Corporation Innovation Voucher. In January 2025 it announced a $10 million IDIQ SBIR Phase III subcontract from Amentum supporting the DHS Science and Technology Directorate. It secured an additional FAA Remote ID research award in March 2025 and was selected to build a Remote ID network for NASA. Deployments are reported at major events, airports and critical infrastructure sites, and third-party trackers place headcount in the 11-50 range, with one source citing roughly 20 employees as of August 2026 and a company case study citing 14.

Latest developments

In January 2025 the company announced a $10 million IDIQ SBIR Phase III subcontract from Amentum in support of the DHS Science and Technology Directorate. In March 2025 it secured an additional FAA Remote ID research award. In April 2025 it announced an integration with Skylark Labs to provide drone detection capabilities along the US-Mexico border. In May 2025 it partnered with The MITRE Corporation on Remote ID research. In July 2025 it appointed Michelle Duquette and Warren Katz to its board of directors, and in August 2025 it demonstrated Remote ID capabilities at a DHS counter-UAS event. The company has also announced selection to build a Remote ID network for NASA.