Latest news with #airspace
Fox News
2 days ago
- Fox News
America's skies are wide open to national security threats, drone expert warns: 'We have no awareness'
As drone technology rapidly advances, industry experts are warning Congress about potential airspace lapses creating the next national security threat if left unregulated. In a U.S. House Homeland Security Subcommittee hearing held last week, drone industry experts testified about the looming threats to airspace safety posed by unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). "More than half of all near misses with commercial and general aviation are with drones," Tom Walker, CEO of DroneUp, told Fox News Digital. Walker leads the world's largest drone services network while working closely with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Departments of Transportation (DOT), Defense (DOD) and Homeland Security (DHS) to implement changes on national airspace policy. While on Capitol Hill, Walker implored lawmakers to build a nationalized system that has the ability to identify each drone, pilot and mission throughout the country. "We don't have awareness of our airspace," Walker said. "We don't have a common operating picture. We can't look at a picture, and see all of the drones and manned aircraft and say, 'Here's who this is and here's what they're doing.'" Currently, the federal government does not have a centralized database that identifies a drone and its pilot in real-time, creating security lapses around critical infrastructure throughout the country and a lack of accountability surrounding rules and regulations of airspace. The implementation of Remote ID – a "digital license plate" for drones – was rolled out in an attempt to identify UAS systems, but can easily be overridden to conceal a pilot's identity, according to Walker. "The problem right now is everything is about policy," Walker said. "We have a policy that says you can't go above 400 feet. We have a policy that says you can't fly during Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFR). We have a policy that says you can't fly in restricted airspace. And those policies have been violated over a million times." Walker pointed to several high-profile incidents in recent months involving drones interfering with law enforcement efforts. Earlier this year, a California man pleaded guilty to federal charges after his drone struck a Canadian Super Scooper firefighting aircraft while authorities raced to battle the devastating Palisades Fire. As a result, the potentially lifesaving plane was grounded for approximately five days. Another instance that grounded a first responders' aircraft occurred after authorities announced a helicopter aiding in search efforts for victims of the Texas floods was struck by a drone. "The helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing, and a critical piece of response equipment is now out of service until further notice," the City of Kerrville said in a statement. While officials have insisted these instances were completely preventable, Walker points to a lack of a centralized system to identify and locate unlawful drones. "I would argue we have no awareness of the airspace whatsoever," Walker told Fox News Digital. "If you don't have awareness, you cannot have control of your airspace. And if you don't have control of your airspace, you can't defend your airspace – which means you have no sovereignty of your airspace." Although the vast majority of regulations have been implemented through policy changes, Walker believes officials are focusing their efforts on counter-UAS systems in a misguided attempt to regain control of the country's airspace. "I get a little discouraged when I hear that the first step we need is counter-UAS," Walker said. "You don't own and control your airspace just by having defensive postures. You have to own it, you have to control it, you have to manage it – and then you use those types of measures only when you lose the ability to control a particular risk scenario." Walker's solution would initially be rolled out in areas that are at a high risk for drone incursions in what he calls a "phased approach," with agencies having access on an as-needed basis. "Let's start with protecting critical infrastructure," Walker said, before pointing to the United States' recent airstrike on Iranian nuclear facilities. "Think about the recent operation where we launched the B-2 [bombers]," Walker told Fox News Digital. "All it would've taken is a kid with a [drone] flying over that airbase and they wouldn't have been able to launch." As government officials look to integrate drone policies during a time when technology is changing at a rapid rate, Walker encourages collaboration between UAS experts and authorities to aim for long-standing regulations that benefit Americans while stressing that the current guidelines do not adequately address airspace concerns. "What systems do we have in place that are tested, tabletop exercised and in place to prevent that today?" Walker said. "The answer is nothing." The airspace database would then include areas such as the southern border and prisons throughout the country, in an attempt to cut down on criminals' smuggling attempts. "If you look at the number of things that are being smuggled into prisons, it's not just drugs, cellphones and SIM cards," Walker said. "It's knives, guns and explosives. The problem is already a crisis, and it's already costing lives. And we, as a country, have done very little up to this point, other than policy." Steven Willoughby, DHS director of counter-UAS program management, testified in a Senate Judicial Committee hearing on Tuesday about cartels using drones to carry out illegal operations at the border, echoing Walker's sentiment. "U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents and officers have seized thousands of pounds of narcotics, including enough fentanyl, to kill tens of thousands of Americans across the globe," Willoughby said. "Drones have also been used increasingly to conduct kinetic attacks or warring cartel functions have attacked one another using drone delivered explosives, and it's only a matter of time before Americans or law enforcement are targeted in the border region." The FAA did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment. The implementation of a nationwide, real-time database of UAS flights could ultimately allow drones to exist alongside manned aircraft, further cementing the United States' ability to protect both its domestic and international assets while aiding its citizens. "We should have both manned and unmanned aircraft working together harmoniously in a symbiotic environment and creating a force multiplier that allows us to save more lives," Walker said. " It allows us to protect our borders, and allows us to provide services to the general public at a level we've never comprehended."
Fox News
7 days ago
- Business
- Fox News
Drone expert highlights national security risks amid changing technology in Congressional testimony
DroneUp CEO Tom Walker speaks with Fox News Digital about his Congressional testimony calling for a nationalized database of drone pilots and flights amid changing technology, while warning the country's airspace regulations are unprepared.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
NORAD sends fighter plane after latest unauthorized flight over Kerrville floods
The Brief Airspace over parts of Texas has been closed since the deadly July 4 floods. After several violations, NORAD dispatched an F-16 to the area Friday. There's no info yet on the offending pilot or mission. KERRVILLE, Texas - After the deadly Texas floods earlier this month, the FAA moved quickly to restrict the airspace in the area so that first responders searching for victims would not be hampered by drones, news helicopters, and other craft. But NORAD, the military division charged with keeping America's airspace, says that they had to send a fighter plane to the skies over Texas after civilian aircraft repeatedly violated a temporary no-fly zone. What we know The Air Force told FOX Television Stations that an unspecified civilian aircraft was intercepted for violating the no-fly zone and safely escorted out of the area Friday afternoon "by NORAD F-16 aircraft." The civilian aircraft was flying at relatively low altitude, between 4,000 and 5,000 feet. "This intercept, combined with yet another TFR violation, has resulted in a total of five unauthorized incursions into restricted airspace," the Air Force statement noted. What we don't know It's not clear what type of aircraft violation prompted the military intervention, what that craft's mission was, or what consequences – if any – that pilot may be facing. NORAD directed further questions to the FAA, which did not respond to a request from FOX Television Stations for more information. Dig deeper "TFR" stands for "temporary flight restriction," which is an order from the FAA that generally restricts non-governmental flights in a small area. They are usually issued for special events or security situations; presidential travel is one of the most common reasons. A collision between a privately-owned drone and a rescue helicopter over Kerrville back on July 7 highlighted the need for such orders. The collision forced the helicopter to make an emergency landing and took it out of service. A similar incident grounded a critical firefighting aircraft during the Los Angeles wildfires earlier this year. What you can do Private pilots and drone operators should know to check the FAA's website for NOTAMs – "notices to airmen" that warn about TFRs and other hazards – before they take to the skies. A map of current TFRs is also available. The backstory Catastrophically heavy rain led to deadly flooding along the Guadalupe River early on July 4. Campsites and communities were swept away; more than 170 people are still considered missing while at least 132 – including dozens of children – are dead. Rain returned to the area around Kerrville on Sunday, pausing efforts to find more victims. Some volunteers were asked to evacuate for their own safety amid the renewed threat of flooding. The Source Information in this report came from NORAD, the FAA, and the City of Kerrville, with background from FOX 7 in Austin. Additional details from the Air Force were added later. This story was reported from Tampa, Fla.
South China Morning Post
11-07-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Chinese fighter jets buzzing Japanese aircraft: ‘a new status quo'?
Tokyo has expressed 'serious concerns' to Beijing after a Chinese fighter jet came close to a Japanese aircraft operating in international airspace over the East China Sea on two occasions this week, with analysts suggesting that a pattern is emerging of China being increasingly willing to challenge Japan at sea and in the air. According to Japan's Defence Ministry, a Chinese JH-7 fighter-bomber flew within 70 metres of an Air Self-Defence Force YS-11EB electronic surveillance aircraft on Wednesday and maintained that position for about 15 minutes. A similar approach took place the following day and lasted about 10 minutes. Tokyo lodged a formal protest with Beijing on Thursday, calling the behaviour 'abnormal' and warning that such close contact risked 'accidental collisions'. It urged Chinese authorities to take steps to prevent a repeat of the incidents. The encounters came just a month after Tokyo protested against another 'abnormal approach' by a Chinese fighter jet – this time launched from the aircraft carrier Shandong – towards a Japanese P-3C maritime patrol aircraft monitoring Chinese naval manoeuvres over the Pacific Ocean. A J-15 fighter jet from the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong making an unusual approach to a Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force P-3C patrol aircraft that was conducting surveillance above the Pacific Ocean on June 8. Photo: Japan's Ministry of Defence / AFP Analysts say the incidents reflect a longer-term shift in China's regional posture.
Washington Post
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Japan urges China to stop flying fighter jets too close to Japanese military aircraft
TOKYO — Japan has demanded China stop flying its fighter jets abnormally close to Japanese intelligence-gathering aircraft, which it said was happening repeatedly and could cause a collision. Japan's Defense Ministry said a Chinese JH-7 fighter-bomber flew as close to 30 meters (98 feet) to a YS-11EB electronic-intelligence aircraft of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force on Wednesday and Thursday. The ministry said it occurred outside Japanese airspace over the East China Sea and caused no damage to the Japanese side.
