Spy drones over US military bases
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A senior official from U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) has raised concerns that some of the 350 drones detected flying over military sites and sensitive areas last year may have been engaged in surveillance operations
During a Senate Armed Services Committee budget hearing, U.S. Air Force Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of both NORTHCOM and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), was pressed about the implications of these drone incursions.
Reports indicate that drones were observed across the country throughout the past year, with particularly high activity in New Jersey. They were also detected over key military installations, such as Joint Base Langley, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and Vandenberg Space Force Base.
Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., questioned Guillot on the threat posed by these drones to military operations, personnel, and facilities.
“Senator, the primary threat I see for them in the way they’ve been operating is detection and perhaps surveillance of sensitive capabilities on our installations,” Guillot responded.
“There were 350 detections reported last year on military installations, and that was 350 over a total of 100 different installations of all types and levels of security.”
Guillot confirmed that commanders at high-security sites, such as nuclear bases, are authorized to protect their airspace from drone incursions. He noted that such installations account for roughly half of all U.S. military bases.
Cotton expressed frustration that only about half of military bases have measures in place to counter drone threats. He pointed out that base commanders across the U.S. are equipped to defend against ground threats, such as a terrorist driving a truck through the front gate, a point Guillot acknowledged.
Concerns over drone threats extend beyond military bases. Cotton referenced reports that Mexican cartels were allegedly authorized to deploy drones armed with explosives against U.S. Border Patrol agents just last week.
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The US needs to develop a better way to deal with the drone spies. Shooting them down with anti-aircraft missiles becomes an expensive operation.
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