US agencies sign agreement to evaluate counter-drone systems
The federal agencies aim to speed up safe deployment of systems that can counter dangerous or unauthorized drones, the aviation regulator said on 9 November.
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The federal agencies aim to speed up safe deployment of systems that can counter dangerous or unauthorized drones, the aviation regulator said on 9 November.
US federal agencies have signed a memorandum to evaluate counter-drone technologies and accelerate their safe deployment for aviation safety and national security, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said. The agreement sets out an effort to assess systems, rather than announcing that those evaluated have already been deployed.
The November 9 announcement follows an April agreement between the FAA and the Pentagon allowing government use of a high-energy laser counter-drone system along the US-Mexico border. In October, the FAA also announced a temporary restriction on unauthorized drones along the entire border, up to 400 feet above ground and extending 1 nautical mile north of it.
The FAA said the effort is led by the White House Task Force and involves the departments of Transportation, Defense, Homeland Security, Energy and Justice. The agencies will work with the FAA and the Federal Communications Commission to develop systems that can detect, track, stop or take control of dangerous or unauthorized drones.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said bringing federal partners together could strengthen the response to rogue drones and protect the flying public. Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Justice Department was working with federal partners to address drone incursions, prosecute people who endanger the public and protect US airspace.
Senior FAA official Liam McKenna told Reuters that the agency was moving to test systems and understand their capabilities before a federal agency uses them. He said the FAA had approved more than 1,000 coordination requests with the Pentagon and Homeland Security concerning counter-drone deployments. For many systems already seen by the FAA and under consideration by security agencies, he said, the coordination process can take 24 hours.
A vehicle crash and a separate barricade breach prompted a White House lockdown on 9 November. The press pool said it was lifted about an hour later; NBC Washington said normal operations resumed after about 30 minutes.
In February, the FAA ordered a 10-day flight halt at El Paso airport in Texas after Customs and Border Protection used the Pentagon laser system without a completed FAA safety review. The FAA lifted the order after about eight hours following White House intervention.
The FAA’s next step under the new effort is to test systems before federal agencies use them.
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