The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) has called on Congress to explicitly include seaports in any federal counter-UAS pilot program. In a letter sent last week to leaders of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, AAPA urged bipartisan action to expand counter-UAS authorities and provide ports with the tools to respond to growing drone threats.
AAPA President and CEO Cary S. Davis noted that seaports are designated as critical infrastructure by the Department of Homeland Security but currently lack the legal authority to counter unauthorized drones.
“Understanding that implementation will rely on partnership with SLTT law enforcement, we respectfully request that seaports be explicitly recognized as potential sites for pilot deployment,” Davis wrote.
Ports handle more than 70 percent of U.S. trade and support over 31 million jobs, yet several facilities have reported drone incidents that disrupted operations and posed safety risks around sensitive storage and perimeter areas.
In its letter, AAPA backed the reintroduction of the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety and Reauthorization Act, asked for explicit inclusion of seaports in the pilot program and called for clear distinctions between detection technologies and active mitigation to enable lawful layered defenses.
The association said it is working with Congress, its Security Committee, and Board of Directors to ensure ports are recognized as key partners in national airspace security.
Committee staff reportedly responded positively to the letter, noting the importance of industry engagement as legislative language is finalized. AAPA said it will continue pressing for ports to be named in any pilot program and plans to provide technical input as lawmakers refine the bill.
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