Unidentified Drones Intrude U.S. Military Airspace, Officials Seek Solutions

ARLINGTON, Va. — Drones have increasingly pierced the skies above key military and infrastructure sites across the United States over the past six years, leaving officials perplexed about their origins and operators. During a recent segment on CBS‘s 60 Minutes, correspondent Bill Whitaker examined the alarming uptick in unauthorized drone activity, which has garnered attention from top military leaders and lawmakers alike.

General Glen VanHerck, the former chief of NORAD and NORTHCOM, expressed deep concern regarding the lack of clarity surrounding these incursions. “We should be concerned that we don’t know what these are. The question that needs to be asked is, ‘Why don’t we know what these are?’” he said. VanHerck noted systemic gaps in capability, policy, and law that must be addressed to thwart these threats.

One notable incident occurred last December, when a swarm of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) invaded the airspace above Langley Air Force Base in Virginia for 17 consecutive nights. The persistent drone activity prompted the Air Force to relocate some F-22 fighter jets to avoid potential damage.

The Langley incursions are just the latest in a series of brazen drone operations targeting military installations. In 2019, numerous drones trailed naval vessels off the California coast for several weeks. Investigations by The War Zone have identified a rising number of these intrusions at sensitive locations, including the Palo Verde nuclear plant in Arizona and Plant 42 in Southern California, where stealth bombers are under development.

The Army also confirmed 11 drone sightings over the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey last year, coinciding with a spike in drone activity across the state. Amid escalating drone operations over sensitive areas, questions arise regarding why the military struggles to intercept these flying devices.

Part of the challenge stems from the sophistication of modern drones, which are widely accessible to both adversaries and civilians. Many advanced drones can be purchased online for just a few thousand dollars, and some models can fly for up to 10 hours while carrying loads of 30 pounds. These drones can also be modified to fly at altitudes that evade detection by standard surveillance radars utilized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and NORAD.

If officials are unable to detect, track, or identify these drones, effectively mitigating the threat becomes exceedingly complex. “If you can’t detect them and track them, and they’re potentially a civilian airplane, then it’s really challenging,” VanHerck explained.

Furthermore, neutralizing drones over populated areas presents significant risks. “People calling for ‘shooting them down’ over very populated areas need to understand that a fighter or a missile would accelerate to two to four times the speed of sound, which is not safe for civilians,” VanHerck said. He emphasized the potential hazards posed by debris from missiles and drones, which could weigh several hundred pounds.

Another complicating factor is jurisdictional ambiguity regarding which agency should take responsibility for downing drones. Various entities, including local law enforcement, the FBI, the FAA, and the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, may all have a role depending on the location of the incursion. Retired Air Force General Mark Kelly urged for a centralized organization dedicated specifically to tackling this problem nationally.

“I believe we’d be in a better position if we had one organization that was resourced, empowered, and tasked with working this problem for the nation,” he stated.

Military options exist, such as jamming the communication frequencies that drones use; however, that approach carries risks as well. Jamming the most common radio frequencies drones operate on—2.4 GHz or 5.8 GHz—would disrupt other services, including Wi-Fi and wireless networks, Kelly noted.

The military could also disrupt precision navigation and timing (PNT) services, akin to GPS. But Kelly cautioned that doing so would hinder navigation capabilities for all pilots and civilians in the vicinity.

VanHerck aligned with Kelly’s perspective, emphasizing the complications associated with blocking drone communications. “If you jam those frequencies, you’ll interfere with TV or transportation systems that use the same spectrum,” he said.

Mitigating these drone incursions requires innovative solutions. The military is currently developing fly-away kits—pre-packaged technology bundles designed to be deployed at installations experiencing persistent drone threats. General Gregory Guillot, the current commander of NORAD and NORTHCOM, affirmed the initiative, stating that the kits would include systems capable of detecting low-flying aircraft that standard radar cannot capture.

“We would have several pre-positioned at various parts of the country, allowing us to respond rapidly, not just with equipment but with the authority to operate that equipment to defeat that incursion,” Guillot said, projecting readiness within a year. This development aims to enhance military response capabilities should incidents akin to those at Langley Air Force Base recur in the future.