Apr 25, 2022 - Politics & Policy

White House seeks expanded powers to counter drones

Erin Doherty

President Joe Biden speaks to reporters after disembarking Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on April 25, 2022 — President Biden speaks to reporters after disembarking Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews on April 25. Photo: Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

The White House said Monday that it is urging Congress to expand the government's authority to detect and disable threatening drones.

Driving the news: The White House released an action plan Monday that would expand the number of agencies that can track in their airspace.

"The proliferation of this new technology has ... introduced new risks to public safety, privacy, and homeland security," the White House said.
The Biden administration also seeks to create a drone incident tracking database, which would be part of a "government-wide repository for departments and agencies to have a better understanding of the overall domestic threat," per the White House.
The White House plan also calls for expanding counter-drone authorities for the departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Defense and Energy, as well as the CIA and NASA in limited situations.

The big picture: Congress in 2018 expanded the authority of Justice and Homeland Security to disable or destroy threatening drones, Reuters reports.

The Federal Aviation Administration receives more than 100 drone sighting reports a month, per Reuters.

Go deeper ... Defending against drones is becoming a business

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White House seeks expanded powers to counter drones

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