US House Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs Chairman William Timmons yesterday warned of coordinated attempts to use unauthorised drones to collect US military intelligence.
Timmons said full accountability, expedited technological upgrades, and enhanced oversight are needed to counter the threat.
“These incursions are not from hobbyists being blown off course,” Timmons said at the subcommittee hearing. “The multitude of drones reported flying over bases in the past several years revealed a coordinated effort by our adversaries to collect valuable intelligence and surveillance of some of our most sensitive military equipment.
“Right now, the Department of Defense (DoD), Federal Aviation Administration, Intelligence Community, Department of Justice, and Department of Homeland Security are all involved in some aspects of the counter UAS efforts. As a result, there is no agency with primary authority on countering drone incursions, leading to confusion, and more importantly, gaps on how to identify and mitigate this threat.”
In a joint statement, Mark Roosevelt Ditlevson, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs and Rear Admiral Paul Spedero Jr, Vice Director for Operations, Joint Staff, told the hearing about the DoD’s response to these threats.
“DoD is implementing process changes and improving training to make full use of our authorities and capabilities. This effort is being formalised and the first updated guidance will come out of coordination in the coming weeks.” In addition, they said DoD is working to acquire hardware to give commanders better tools to understand the operating environment and the ability to effectively conduct non-kinetic and kinetic mitigations.
“The technology to counter unmanned systems has not kept pace with their rapid development and employment. Therefore, the Department is also working to acquire not only capabilities that address the threat posed by the UAS we see today, but also capabilities that anticipate how the threat will evolve over time. To do this effectively, the Department needs to balance defence of critical facilities with the need to ensure the safety of the communities and commercial airspace that surround them.
“The systems that have proven effective at countering UAS in the Middle East are not appropriate for the homeland given the intelligence collection required to enable these mitigation operations and the potential for collateral damage (e.g., radio frequency jamming can interfere with emergency responder radios and weather radar). DoD’s understanding of the threat and the unique mitigation dynamics in the homeland have greatly improved. Once selected and fielded, this hardware and software will give commanders better tools to characterise their environment, coupled with the ability to effectively mitigate these threats – with low-risk of collateral effects. This effort is in its relatively early stages, but it’s a critical part of our approach to address this threat.”
For more information
Unauthorised drones hearing at the Department of Defence (video)
Image: Screenshot from US Department of Defence video from the April 29, 2025 hearing.
