Untracked drones pose major security risk to US critical airspace

As drone technology rapidly advances, industry experts are warning Congress about potential airspace lapses creating the next national security threat if left unregulated.

In a U.S. House Homeland Security Subcommittee hearing held last week, drone industry experts testified about the looming threats to airspace safety posed by unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). 

“More than half of all near misses with commercial and general aviation are with drones,” Tom Walker, CEO of DroneUp, told Fox News Digital. 

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Drone experts are asking Congress for a centralized database to track flights and pilots in an attempt to fill gaps in airspace regulations. (iStock)

Walker leads the world’s largest drone services network while working closely with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Departments of Transportation (DOT), Defense (DOD) and Homeland Security (DHS) to implement changes on national airspace policy. 

While on Capitol Hill, Walker implored lawmakers to build a nationalized system that has the ability to identify each drone, pilot and mission throughout the country. 

“We don’t have awareness of our airspace,” Walker said. “We don’t have a common operating picture. We can’t look at a picture, and see all of the drones and manned aircraft and say, ‘Here’s who this is and here’s what they’re doing.’”

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Drones have been responsible for several incidents involving rescue aircraft being struck during lifesaving efforts, including a firefighting airplane in California and a helicopter in Texas. (iStock)

Currently, the federal government does not have a centralized database that identifies a drone and its pilot in real-time, creating security lapses around critical infrastructure throughout the country and a lack of accountability surrounding rules and regulations of airspace. 

The implementation of Remote ID – a “digital license plate” for drones – was rolled out in an attempt to identify UAS systems, but can easily be overridden to conceal a pilot’s identity, according to Walker.  

“The problem right now is everything is about policy,” Walker said. “We have a policy that says you can’t go above 400 feet. We have a policy that says you can’t fly during Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR). We have a policy that says you can’t fly in restricted airspace. And those policies have been violated over a million times.” 

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Walker pointed to several high-profile incidents in recent months involving drones interfering with law enforcement efforts. 

Earlier this year, a California man pleaded guilty to federal charges after his drone struck a Canadian Super Scooper firefighting aircraft while authorities raced to battle the devastating Palisades Fire. As a result, the potentially lifesaving plane was grounded for approximately five days. 

Another instance that grounded a first responders’ aircraft occurred after authorities announced a helicopter aiding in search efforts for victims of the Texas floods was struck by a drone. 

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“The helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing, and a critical piece of response equipment is now out of service until further notice,” the City of Kerrville said in a statement. 

While officials have insisted these instances were completely preventable, Walker points to a lack of a centralized system to identify and locate unlawful drones. 

“I would argue we have no awareness of the airspace whatsoever,” Walker told Fox News Digital. “If you don’t have awareness, you cannot have control of your airspace. And if you don’t have control of your airspace, you can’t defend your airspace – which means you have no sovereignty of your airspace.” 

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Walker hopes federal authorities can find a way to allow manned aircraft and drones to co-exist within American airspace. (iStock)

Although the vast majority of regulations have been implemented through policy changes, Walker believes officials are focusing their efforts on counter-UAS systems in a misguided attempt to regain control of the country’s airspace. 

“I get a little discouraged when I hear that the first step we need is counter-UAS,” Walker said. “You don’t own and control your airspace just by having defensive postures. You have to own it, you have to control it, you have to manage it – and then you use those types of measures only when you lose the ability to control a particular risk scenario.” 

Walker’s solution would initially be rolled out in areas that are at a high risk for drone incursions in what he calls a “phased approach,” with agencies having access on an as-needed basis.  

“Let’s start with protecting critical infrastructure,” Walker said, before pointing to the United States’ recent airstrike on Iranian nuclear facilities. 

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“Think about the recent operation where we launched the B-2 [bombers],” Walker told Fox News Digital. “All it would’ve taken is a kid with a [drone] flying over that airbase and they wouldn’t have been able to launch.”  

As government officials look to integrate drone policies during a time when technology is changing at a rapid rate, Walker encourages collaboration between UAS experts and authorities to aim for long-standing regulations that benefit Americans while stressing that the current guidelines do not adequately address airspace concerns. 

“What systems do we have in place that are tested, tabletop exercised and in place to prevent that today?” Walker said. “The answer is nothing.” 

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The airspace database would then include areas such as the southern border and prisons throughout the country, in an attempt to cut down on criminals’ smuggling attempts. 

“If you look at the number of things that are being smuggled into prisons, it’s not just drugs, cellphones and SIM cards,” Walker said. “It’s knives, guns and explosives. The problem is already a crisis, and it’s already costing lives. And we, as a country, have done very little up to this point, other than policy.” 

Steven Willoughby, DHS director of counter-UAS program management, testified in a Senate Judicial Committee hearing on Tuesday about cartels using drones to carry out illegal operations at the border, echoing Walker’s sentiment. 

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“U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and officers have seized thousands of pounds of narcotics, including enough fentanyl, to kill tens of thousands of Americans across the globe,” Willoughby said. “Drones have also been used increasingly to conduct kinetic attacks or warring cartel functions have attacked one another using drone delivered explosives, and it’s only a matter of time before Americans or law enforcement are targeted in the border region.” 

The FAA did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

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The implementation of a nationwide, real-time database of UAS flights could ultimately allow drones to exist alongside manned aircraft, further cementing the United States’ ability to protect both its domestic and international assets while aiding its citizens. 

“We should have both manned and unmanned aircraft working together harmoniously in a symbiotic environment and creating a force multiplier that allows us to save more lives,” Walker said. ” It allows us to protect our borders, and allows us to provide services to the general public at a level we’ve never comprehended.”