DRONESBackgrounder: Drone Operations in the U.S.
More than 1.7 million drones are registered for commercial and recreational use in the United States, and it is safe to assume that there are many additional unregistered drones out there.
The growing popularity of drones has been accompanied by incidents which raised security concerns. The drone sightings in New Jersey are reminiscent of events in the UK: In December 2018, repeated drone sightings at Gatwick Airport south of London resulted in more than 1,000 cancelled flights, chaos for more than 150,000 travelers, more than $63 million of lost revenue for airlines, and an expenditure of nearly $1.3 million for the local Sussex police force’s investigation.
The place the recent sightings in perspective, we should note that more than 1.7 million drones are registered for commercial and recreational use in the United States, and it is safe to assume that there are many additional unregistered drones out there.
And extremists have already planned to use them for mischief. In November, the FBI arrested a Tennessee white supremacist who was charged with plotting to use a drone loaded with explosives to attack a power station in the Nashville area.
According to Dedrone, a Northern Virginia-based manufacturer of counter-drone systems, the company’s sensors have detected more than 1.1 million violations of drone operation rules — including drones flying closer than allowed by the FAA to airports and no-fly zones such as the National Capital Region or operating above 400 feet, where they can pose a risk to manned aircraft.
Max Boot notesthat the limited powers that the FAA has to counter drone threats are due to expire on Dec. 20. The Biden administration is supporting bipartisan legislation in both houses of Congress which would authorize the DHS to create a pilot counter-drone program in cooperation with state and local partners. But the legislation has been held up by civil liberties concerns from both the left and the right.
NSC spokesperson John Kirby, when asked about the New Jersey drone sightings, urged Congress “to pass important legislation that will extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities so that we are better prepared to identify and mitigate any potential threats to airports or other critical infrastructure.”
I. Rules Governing Drone Operations
Drone operations in the U.S. are regulated primarily by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The rules vary depending on whether the drone is used for recreational, commercial, or governmental purposes. Here is an overview of key regulations:
