House Republicans are calling for urgent action and transparency as unauthorized drone incursions at U.S. military installations surge. In 2024 alone, there have been 350 reported drone incidents across more than 100 bases, prompting growing concerns about national security vulnerabilities.
On Thursday, the House Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs sent letters to the Departments of Defense (DoD), Transportation (DOT), and Justice (DOJ), demanding extensive records on how agencies are managing drone threats. The lawmakers highlighted incidents like the group of drones that hovered over Langley Air Force Base for more than two weeks in December 2023, criticizing the response as inadequate and fragmented.
Under current protocols, base commanders are required to establish “hostile intent” before engaging drones — a standard lawmakers argue is too rigid for rapidly evolving and ambiguous threats. Coordination among the DOJ, DoD, FAA, and local law enforcement is described as “improvised and bureaucratically delayed,” leaving critical gaps in defense that adversaries could exploit.
The subcommittee is seeking all interagency policies on drone detection and mitigation, reports of drone incidents dating back to January 2022, internal reviews of legal frameworks, and communications between federal agencies. Lawmakers also want to see plans for a joint federal-state-local task force aimed at improving counter-drone operations.
The urgency stems from how drones have transformed modern warfare globally. In Ukraine and the Middle East, drones have shifted from surveillance tools to lethal weapons. Iran’s Shahed-136 drones, for example, have allowed Russia to overwhelm Ukrainian defenses and strike infrastructure at low cost. Ukraine has responded by adapting commercial drones for offensive strikes, while Israel recently combined drones and aircraft to hit Iranian generals and critical facilities during Operation Rising Lion.
Military analysts warn that the U.S. cannot afford to ignore lessons from overseas conflicts, where drones have altered battlefield strategies and challenged traditional defenses. The lawmakers stress that the U.S. needs a proactive and coordinated approach to prevent similar vulnerabilities at home.
“This is a fast-evolving threat that demands a unified federal response,” the letter emphasized, underscoring the importance of improved data sharing, resource allocation, and clear legal authority to act against drone incursions.
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