Simply earlier than we began our weekly hangout this week the Home Homeland Safety group sat down to speak about drone threats. That is at a time when a mass hysteria lights within the sky occasion is going on in New Jersey and oh boy it was leveraged laborious.
I’ll put the video beneath and have summarised it for you expensive reader. Bruce has created a remark video I’ll add that in as nicely. The panels appeared very eager to say the New Jersey lights have been drones, not likely entertaining anything.
I finished watching when Keith Jones, representing US Customs and Border Safety, testified that CBP sensors recorded greater than 6,900 drone flights inside shut proximity of US borders throughout a latest six-week interval.
He talked about that in 2023, there have been 45,000 drone detections on the southwest border. Nevertheless, solely a small proportion of those drone flights resulted in incursions into US airspace. It was stated that the border patrol may land these satan drones with its counter drone gear.
Keith wouldn’t truly be drawn on what number of had been landed, simply saying they’d been mitigated, no matter meaning.
In 2023, 86 drone threats have been mitigated, and to this point this yr 60. Solely 5% of the 45,000 detections represented precise incursions. He additional clarified that these figures symbolize the variety of occasions, not essentially particular person drones. This means {that a} single mitigation would possibly contain a number of drones or repeat offenders.
Apparently the one factor to be completed is chuck thousands and thousands of {dollars} on the drawback.
All sounds very Gatwick and aviation regulators favorite factor to do, fudge figures to make them match the narrative.
I’m laying this one down intimately as a result of we can pin a date on when the following spherical of RPAS restrictions for a nonetheless rising trade have been hatched.
I discover myself frightened concerning the point out of Ukraine, it’s not a like for like scenario however this can enable people to push but extra CUAS BS into America, FUD sells.
It’s additionally not going to assist the DJI/Autel potential ban.
American Drone professionals, make an observation in your diary tenth December 2024. The day the additional nuts guidelines and restrictions have been born.
In abstract that is what your complete factor was about :-
Escalating Menace: UAS pose a quickly evolving risk to US nationwide safety and demanding infrastructure, demanding pressing consideration and motion.
Authority Hole: Present authorized frameworks are inadequate to successfully deal with the dimensions and complexity of the UAS risk, necessitating expanded authorities for federal, state, and native companies.
Collaboration: Efficient counter-UAS efforts require robust collaboration between authorities companies, personal trade, and worldwide companions.
Technological Development: The US should prioritize analysis, improvement, and fast acquisition of counter-UAS applied sciences to maintain tempo with adversarial developments, studying from the Ukrainian instance.
Balancing Safety and Privateness: Increasing counter-UAS authorities should be completed responsibly, guaranteeing the safety of privateness and civil liberties by way of clear tips, coaching, and oversight mechanisms.
These have been the important thing elements.
Consultant Mike Fluger (R-TX), Chairman, Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Regulation Enforcement, and Intelligence
Highlights the rising safety issues posed by UAS, emphasizing their potential misuse for felony actions, espionage, and assaults on vital infrastructure.
Stresses the urgency to increase and reform counter-UAS authorities, praising bipartisan efforts to introduce laws addressing the difficulty.
Expresses concern over latest incidents, together with these in New Jersey and Langley Air Power Base, underscoring the immediacy of the risk.
Consultant Seth Magaziner (D-RI), Rating Member, Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Regulation Enforcement, and Intelligence
Acknowledges the technological arms race between felony use of UAS and legislation enforcement efforts to counter them.
Emphasizes the necessity for expanded authority to watch, observe, and jam UAS alerts whereas safeguarding civil liberties.
Helps HR8610, the Counter-UAS Authority Safety, Security, and Reauthorization Act, as a way to deal with the difficulty.
Consultant Carlos A. Giménez (R-FL), Chairman, Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Safety
Addresses the fast enhance in drone operators, highlighting security dangers posed by uninformed operators and the potential hazard from malicious actors.
Particulars particular cases of drone threats at airports and power amenities, underscoring the actual and escalating nature of the issue.
Urges swift motion to bolster defenses towards drone misuse, notably in gentle of upcoming main occasions just like the FIFA World Cup and Summer season Olympics.
Consultant Dale Kildee (D-MI), Rating Member, Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Safety
Acknowledges the widespread and useful use of drones throughout numerous industries.
Emphasizes the necessity for presidency preparedness and empowerment to guard vital infrastructure and public security as drone use will increase.
Requires extending and increasing counter-drone authorities whereas guaranteeing the safety of privateness and civil liberties and sustaining airspace security.
Witness Testimony: Panel 1
Mr. Keith Jones, Deputy Govt Assistant Commissioner for Air and Marine Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Safety (CBP)
The Present State of UAS Threats to Border Safety:
Particulars the fast enhance in UAS exercise alongside the border, highlighting the numerous risk posed by counter-surveillance actions of transnational felony organizations (TCOs).
Underscores the usage of drones for reconnaissance and, to a lesser extent, for smuggling contraband, emphasizing the potential hurt from even small payloads of fentanyl or explosives.
Vital Authorities and Response:
Explains CBP’s function as the chief agent for counter-UAS operations and their collaboration with different companies and trade companions.
Stresses the significance of the Stopping Rising Threats Act in enabling CBP to counter UAS threats, highlighting their focused method and mitigation efforts.
Enhancing Area Consciousness and Know-how:
Emphasizes the necessity for continued congressional help to counter the evolving UAS risk, notably in gentle of TCOs buying extra superior drones.
Requires enhanced area consciousness capabilities and superior know-how to take care of a strategic benefit in countering UAS threats.
Mr. Robert Wheeler Jr., Assistant Director, FBI Vital Incident Response Group
Evolving UAS Threats:
Offers examples of latest felony instances involving UAS, together with espionage at a naval facility and an tried assault on an power facility.
Highlights the distinctive safety challenges posed by UAS know-how and the growing malicious use by state, non-state, and lone actors.
The Significance of Counter-UAS Authority:Explains the authority granted to the FBI underneath the 2018 Stopping Emergency Threats Act and its use in mitigating UAS threats at particular occasions, investigations, and amenities.
Stresses the significance of a sturdy extension of the counter-UAS authorities, highlighting the unfavorable impression of short-term extensions on long-term technique and useful resource allocation.
Increasing Counter-UAS Authority to State and Native Companions:
Advocates for increasing counter-UAS authorities to state, native, tribal, and territorial companions, emphasizing their essential function in defending the huge variety of occasions and potential targets.
Offers particular examples of profitable FBI mitigation efforts, comparable to on the Boston Marathon, however underscores the necessity for expanded capabilities to deal with the nationwide scale of the risk.
Mr. Bragg Wiggman, Deputy Assistant Legal professional Basic for Nationwide Safety, U.S. Division of Justice (DOJ)
The Want for Expanded Authorized Authority:
Explains the authorized challenges confronted by legislation enforcement in countering UAS threats, highlighting the potential for counter-drone actions to violate current felony legal guidelines.
Urges Congress to reauthorize the present legislation, emphasizing the inadequacy of present authorities to deal with the dimensions of the risk.
Advocates for broader authorized authority to cowl a wider vary of protected websites, together with airports and demanding infrastructure, and to empower state and native legislation enforcement.
Defending Privateness and Civil Liberties:
Assures the committee that counter-UAS applied sciences goal communications between drones and controllers and don’t extract private data.
Emphasizes the dedication to safeguarding privateness and civil liberties, highlighting DOJ steerage, coaching necessities, and adherence to authorized parameters for knowledge assortment.
Advocates for increasing authorities whereas sustaining robust privateness protections, together with coaching and oversight mechanisms for state and native legislation enforcement concerned in counter-drone actions.
III. Witness Testimony: Panel 2
Mr. Jeffrey Bombgartner, Vice President for Nationwide Safety and Resilience, Berkshire Hathaway Power
UAS Threats to Vital Infrastructure:
Explains the significance of vital infrastructure to the economic system and safety, highlighting the growing risk posed by UAS to power, transportation, communications, and water sectors.
Describes the evolving capabilities of UAS, enabling malicious actors to surveil, disrupt, and assault vital infrastructure.
Cites the Division of Homeland Safety’s 2025 Homeland Menace Evaluation, emphasizing UAS as a persistent and rising danger.
Modernizing Defenses and Authorized Frameworks:
Argues for modernizing defenses towards UAS threats whereas balancing safety measures with civil liberties.
Requires granting vital infrastructure firms restricted authority to deploy counter-UAS applied sciences.
Advocates for enhanced data sharing, legislation enforcement empowerment, analysis and improvement, and a complete technique to deal with regulatory, technological, and operational facets of UAS threats.
Collaboration Between the Public and Personal Sectors:
Emphasizes the necessity for public-private collaboration to guard vital infrastructure.
Urges Congress to resume and broaden counter-UAS authorities for DHS and DOJ, warning of the vulnerability of vital infrastructure if authorities lapse.
Dr. Paul Scharre, Co-Director, World Technique Selections Group
Classes from Ukraine:
Highlights the transformative impression of UAS within the Ukraine-Russia battle, underscoring the revolution within the utility of deadly pressure at low price and with decentralized command constructions.
Argues that the US is shedding its strategic navy benefit on this evolving technological surroundings.
Emphasizes the necessity to study from Ukrainian improvements and adapt to the altering guidelines of warfare.
The Want for Urgency and Adaptation:
Expresses concern over the dearth of urgency and coherence within the US response to the evolving UAS risk.
Advocates for lowering bureaucratic boundaries to innovation and empowering operational models to tinker and experiment with new applied sciences.
Recommends a fast acquisition and deployment technique, studying from Ukrainian successes in fielding UAS techniques shortly.
Suggestions for Coverage and Know-how:
Suggests the creation of a devoted UAS pressure or service throughout the US navy, just like the Ukrainian mannequin, to centralize experience and speed up innovation.
Encourages specializing in offensive UAS capabilities and counter-UAS applied sciences, leveraging classes from the Ukrainian battle.
Emphasizes the significance of coverage adjustments that empower innovation and streamline acquisition processes to maintain tempo with fast technological developments.
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