Le président de la sous-commission de l'aviation demande un renforcement des capacités des C-UAS pour le maintien de l'ordre dans les aéroports

The Chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has called for greater power to be given to enforcement agencies to mitigate drone incursions at airports.

During the recent “Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems” hearing, which took place in Washington, D.C. on February 6, Chairman Troy E. Nehls (R-Texas) heard testimony from three witnesses discussing the growth in drone use in the US and the need for greater C-UAS capabilities and education.

Representative Nehls heard – and even highlighted himself in his opening remarks – the numerous benefits UAS can bring not only for the public, but also for law enforcement agencies and the delivery of essential goods. Nevertheless, the he noted that “the wide-scale integration of small drones into our airspace at low altitudes poses unique challenges both on the ground and in our nation’s airspace” – most recently demonstrated by the more than 5,000 reported drone sightings in New Jersey.

The Subcommittee heard testimony from Dr. Catherine Cahill, Director of the Alaska Center for UAS Integration (ACUASI) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Lisa Ellman, Executive Director of the Commercial Drone Alliance (CDA), and Chris McLaughlin, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport’s (DFW) Executive Vice President of Operations, all of which can be found on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee website ici.

McLaughlin highlighted the challenges airports face in detecting and mitigating unauthorized drone activity. Speaking about DFW’s drone detection system, he praised its effectiveness in identifying more than 5,000 legitimate drone flights in its five-mile radius annually, 150 of which were operated inappropriately. He argued for the need for better access to FAA data to identify authorized drones and the importance of mitigation authority for airports in extreme situations.

In response, Rep. Nehls advocated for airport law enforcement nationwide to be empowered use the DeDrone Defender, which disrupts drones using radio waves and was displayed at the hearing.  He emphasized that he was assured by the manufacturer that the system does not interfere with aircraft.

Rep. Nehls further urged Congress and the FAA to use readily available technology to improve on addressing the issue with drones which are “by the thousands, if not millions.”

The video of the full hearing can be found on YouTube ici.

Crédit photographique : Forbes (YouTube)