Press Releases

Washington, D.C. – The House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency, chaired by U.S. Representative Scott Perry (PA-04), held a hearing Wednesday on the security implications of small Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS or “drones”) in the domestic airspace and technologies to mitigate associated threats. Some predict that 400,000 small UAS could be purchased this year. As small UAS continue to proliferate, the threats posed by accidental and malicious operators will increase. Recent examples of a quadcopter crashing on the White House lawn and unidentified small UAS flying over Paris landmarks demonstrate the challenges that law enforcement face.

“Lone wolf terrorists, drug smugglers, and foreign spies don’t care about FAA rules. DHS must help protect against these bad actors from perverting this technology for their objectives”, said Perry.

Law enforcement faces a significant challenge in assessing UAS incidents as they occur. “It will be impossible to distinguish the accidental from the intentional, the benign from the malicious”, said Dr. Todd Humphreys. His research at the University of Texas at Austin has shown that small UAS GPS signals can be hijacked.

The former Chief of Safety for the U.S. Air Force, Retired Major General Frederick Roggero, testified that small UAS provide an affordable asymmetric tool to those who want to use them for nefarious purposes. Unfortunately, the Administration has failed to outline a strategy to deal with this threat. Roggero stated “technology typically outstrips policies, and this technology has certainly stretched the capacity of the US government’s bureaucracy to swiftly provide a counter drone strategy.”

Rep. Perry further questioned the witnesses on the elements that a cohesive strategy and risk assessment should address to better defend against future threats posed by small UAS.

The Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency oversees the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) day-to-day operations. The subcommittee works to identify potential opportunities to eliminate duplicative or unnecessary programs, find efficiencies that will contribute to DHS’s ability to meet its vital missions, and identify areas for cost savings. The subcommittee also conducts rigorous oversight to ensure departmental regulations enhance security without posing an unnecessary barrier to private sector job creation. Future hearings will be announced in the coming weeks.

Materials from today’s hearing can be found here: http://homeland.house.gov/hearing/subcommittee-hearing-unmanned-aerial-system-threats-exploring-security-implications-and.