The 2026 Second National Low-Altitude Economy Development Conference opened in Hangzhou on May 13, 2026. The event signals growing international demand for anti-drone systems — particularly among aviation, energy, and critical infrastructure sectors in the Middle East and Latin America — and introduces new interoperability and compliance requirements that directly affect export-oriented manufacturers, system integrators, and procurement stakeholders.

Event Overview

On May 13, 2026, the Second National Low-Altitude Economy Development Conference commenced in Hangzhou. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) disclosed that China’s anti-drone system exports rose by 172% year-on-year in Q1 2026, with the largest growth attributed to major airport and energy facility projects in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Brazil. Concurrently, the conference released the Interoperability Guidelines for Low-Altitude Security Systems (Trial), mandating that anti-drone systems comply with ONVIF Profile D (Detection) and the mandatory electromagnetic compatibility standard GB/T 38367—2025. Abu Dhabi International Airport has incorporated these requirements as a prequalification technical threshold for its Phase II tender process.

Industries Affected

Export-Oriented Equipment Manufacturers

Manufacturers supplying anti-drone systems to overseas civil aviation or energy infrastructure projects are directly impacted. The new interoperability guidelines require technical alignment with ONVIF Profile D and GB/T 38367—2025 — both of which govern detection capability and electromagnetic resilience. Non-compliant products may be excluded from tenders in key markets such as the UAE and Saudi Arabia, where regulatory alignment is now enforced at the procurement stage.

System Integrators & Solution Providers

Integrators deploying layered counter-UAS solutions for airports or oil/gas facilities must verify end-to-end conformance across detection, identification, and mitigation subsystems. Since the Guidelines emphasize system-level interoperability — not just component-level certification — integrators face increased validation effort before bid submission, especially for projects referencing Abu Dhabi’s tender framework.

Supply Chain & Compliance Support Services

Third-party testing labs, certification consultants, and documentation specialists supporting export compliance are seeing heightened demand for ONVIF Profile D verification and GB/T 38367—2025 electromagnetic compatibility assessments. As adoption of the Guidelines spreads beyond pilot implementations, lead times for conformity reporting may tighten, affecting time-to-market for new product variants.

What Enterprises and Practitioners Should Monitor and Do Now

Track official updates to the Interoperability Guidelines

The Guidelines are labeled “Trial,” indicating potential revisions following stakeholder feedback and real-world implementation. Exporters should monitor MIIT and Standardization Administration of China announcements for formalization timelines, scope expansions (e.g., inclusion of additional ONVIF profiles), or regional adoption notices.

Verify product readiness for ONVIF Profile D and GB/T 38367—2025

Manufacturers and integrators should audit current product documentation and test reports against both requirements — especially electromagnetic immunity under operational conditions. Systems certified only to legacy EMC standards (e.g., GB/T 17626 series without explicit low-altitude RF environment considerations) may require retesting.

Distinguish between policy signal and tender enforcement

While Abu Dhabi International Airport has adopted the Guidelines as a binding tender condition, other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) or Latin American entities have not yet confirmed similar implementation. Enterprises should treat the Abu Dhabi requirement as an early adopter benchmark — not a universal mandate — and confirm technical thresholds case-by-case during pre-bid engagement.

Prepare technical documentation for bid submissions

Procurement teams targeting Middle Eastern and Brazilian infrastructure projects should compile evidence packages demonstrating ONVIF Profile D conformance (e.g., interoperability test logs with certified video management systems) and GB/T 38367—2025 test certificates issued by CNAS-accredited laboratories. Early preparation avoids last-minute delays in qualification review.

Editorial Perspective / Industry Observation

Observably, this development functions primarily as a regulatory signal — not yet a fully scaled enforcement regime. The inclusion of the Guidelines in Abu Dhabi’s tender represents a high-profile validation point, but widespread adoption across target markets remains pending. Analysis shows that the 172% export growth reflects project-driven demand rather than broad-based market penetration; it is concentrated in large-scale, government-backed infrastructure deployments. From an industry perspective, the convergence of export momentum and formalized technical expectations suggests a transitional phase: vendors are shifting from ad hoc compliance to structured, standards-aligned development cycles. Continued attention is warranted not only for regulatory evolution but also for how regional procurement authorities interpret and enforce interoperability clauses in practice.

Conclusion
The Hangzhou conference underscores a material shift: anti-drone systems are no longer evaluated solely on standalone performance, but on their ability to integrate within broader security ecosystems and meet jurisdiction-specific electromagnetic resilience standards. For enterprises, this means technical due diligence — especially around ONVIF Profile D and GB/T 38367—2025 — is becoming a prerequisite for market access in priority geographies. It is more accurate to understand this as an emerging operational requirement for select high-value tenders, rather than an immediate, universal compliance obligation across all export channels.

Information Sources
Main source: Official disclosures from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) at the 2026 Second National Low-Altitude Economy Development Conference, held in Hangzhou on May 13, 2026.
Note: The status of broader adoption of the Interoperability Guidelines for Low-Altitude Security Systems (Trial) beyond Abu Dhabi International Airport’s Phase II tender remains subject to ongoing observation.