WASHINGTON, Aug. 27 -- The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration issued the following press release:

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy today announced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is launching Phase 2 of the BEYOND program to expand the agency's efforts to integrate drones into the national airspace system (NAS) and secure America's leadership in aviation innovation.

The FAA will double the program's current size by selecting up to eight additional state, local, tribal and territorial entities to serve as lead participants, significantly expanding advanced drone operations across the country.

"America leads the world in aviation, and this expansion will help keep it ...