Features
- Low profile: minimal protrusion and drag, suited to surfaces where a raised fitting is unacceptable.
- Dual mode: full and reduced output, selectable to the phase of flight and the light conditions.
- NVG friendly: usable alongside night vision equipment without washing out the scene.
- Optimised heatsinking: thermal design that holds output stable rather than derating in a hot installation.
- Low mass: negligible impact on a payload or mass budget.
- Complete position set: red, green and white units from one source cover the port, starboard and aft positions.
- Lightning and HIRF evidence: qualification for direct lightning strike and high intensity radiated fields supports the platform’s E3 assessment.
Position Lights for UAS and Aircraft
Position lights tell an observer which way an airframe is pointing and which way it is going. Red to port, green to starboard, white aft. The convention is the same for a UAS as for a manned aircraft, because the people and systems reading those lights are the same.
Drone position lights, also called drone navigation lights, follow the layout that 14 CFR 25.1385 sets for crewed aeroplanes: a red forward light on the left, a green forward light on the right and a white rear light as far aft as practical.
These are qualified aviation components rather than accessory lighting. They run from a 28 V DC bus, are designed against JAR 23, 25, 27 and 29 and the MIL-STD series, and are qualified for HIRF environments and direct lightning strike. That matters for any platform operating in controlled airspace or alongside manned aviation, where the lighting is part of the airworthiness case rather than an add-on.
Dual mode operation covers visible and low-output states, and the units are NVG friendly, so a platform can be marked for crewed traffic without saturating night vision equipment on the ground. See MIL-STD-3009 for the NVIS compatibility requirements.
Specifications
| Input voltage | 28 V DC |
| Light source | LED |
| Colours | Green, red, white |
| Modes | Dual mode |
| Profile | Low profile |
| NVG compatibility | NVG friendly |
| Design standards | JAR 23, 25, 27 and 29 |
| Military standards | MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-461, MIL-STD-464, MIL-STD-704 |
| Environmental | RTCA DO-160D |
| Special qualification | HIRF, direct lightning strike |
Red, Green and White Position Lights Inside the E3 Case
The specification for this red, green and white set lists MIL-STD-461 and MIL-STD-464 next to HIRF and direct lightning strike qualification. MIL-STD-464 sets the electromagnetic environmental effects (E3) requirements for the complete system, lightning included, and points to MIL-STD-461 for interference control in each item of equipment.
The current revision is MIL-STD-464D, dated 24 December 2020 and validated by Notice 1 on 9 February 2026. The table names no revision, so state the revision your contract calls up and we will check the drone position lights against it.
Related Aviation Lighting
Position lights are one part of an external lighting fit. For conspicuity, the strobes in the same range add a flashing white, red or infrared signal. For station keeping between airframes, see formation lights.
The full range of drone lights and our wider aviation lighting catalogue cover both unmanned and manned platforms. For a fit not covered here, request a quote with the platform and the standards that apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
Red to port, which is the left side viewed from behind looking forward, and green to starboard on the right. White marks the rear.
The convention exists so that an observer can read heading from the lights alone: red on the right of your view and green on the left means the aircraft could be heading toward you, while red on the left and green on the right means it is flying away from you. A drone with red and green lights fitted to this convention reads the same way.
Because on a platform operating in controlled airspace the lighting forms part of the airworthiness case. A generic LED has no qualification evidence behind it, which means no DO-160 environmental data, no MIL-STD-461 EMC results and nothing to submit when the fit is assessed. The qualification is what you are buying as much as the light.
It gives a full output state and a reduced one. Full output is for conspicuity in daylight or in traffic. Reduced output keeps the airframe marked at night without the lighting becoming the brightest thing in the scene, which matters when observers on the ground are using night vision equipment.
Position lights show orientation. Requirements for night operation differ by jurisdiction and by aircraft class, and in most cases a separate anti-collision light is also required, which is why we supply anti-collision drone lights alongside these.
For small UAS flown under the FAA’s Part 107 rules, 14 CFR 107.29 requires anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles at night and in civil twilight, and it does not call for position lights. Fit position lights where crews and observers need to read heading, anti-collision lights where the rule calls for conspicuity, and both where the platform shares airspace with crewed traffic.
Tell us where the platform will operate and under which authority, and we will confirm what the fit needs to include.
