Drones Over America: Can U.S. Deal With Airspace Violations?

The mysterious drone sightings over airports and military facilities in the U.S. continue shutting down runways and alarming the public. With drones spotted across military facilities nationwide, the Pentagon, FBI, and FAA have released little information on the incidents — but some details are beginning to emerge.

Arrests are happening, such as in Boston and California on Monday, December 16.

But the drones keep droning on. On Tuesday, December 17, drones were spotted near Picatinny Arsenal and Naval Weapons Station Earle in New Jersey.

The Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio also confirmed it had closed its airspace for four hours the previous Friday due to “heavy UAS (unmanned aerial system) activity over the base.”

Beyond speculation, it is clear that the U.S. is having difficulties managing emerging drone technologies.

We explore in-depth what is going on in the skies.

Table of Contents Table of Contents

1. Key Takeaways
2. Key Air Force Base Radio Comms Issue No-Fly Zone in Ohio
3. Two Suspects Arrested in Boston as California Charges Chinese National
4. Homeland Security and FBI Calls Congress to Rapidly Enact New Laws
5. The Role of Drones and Iron Domes in Modern Warfare
6. The Bottom Line
7. FAQs
8. References

Show Full Guide

Table of Contents

1. Key Takeaways
2. Key Air Force Base Radio Comms Issue No-Fly Zone in Ohio
3. Two Suspects Arrested in Boston as California Charges Chinese National
Show Full Guide
4. Homeland Security and FBI Calls Congress to Rapidly Enact New Laws
5. The Role of Drones and Iron Domes in Modern Warfare
6. The Bottom Line
7. FAQs
8. References

Key Air Force Base Radio Comms Issue No-Fly Zone in Ohio

On December 16, The War Zone reported that the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, critical for American military operations, added its name to the list of military bases affected by recent drone incidents.

Radio communications between the Wright-Patterson AFB tower and aircraft were released in an online video.

In the video, an Air Force base tower controller relays the no-fly zone to airborne aircraft, warning pilots to “use extreme caution” due to “heavy UAS movement on the base.” Drones in this incident appeared in different shapes and sizes.

Drones have also been reported in New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Virginia — and even overseas at three U.S. Air Force-operated bases in the U.K. in November.

Two Suspects Arrested in Boston as California Charges Chinese National

The FBI revealed it had received over 5,000 drone sighting tips, generating about 100 investigative leads — all of which they considered not a threat to public or national security.

On December 14, the Boston Police Harbor Patrol Unit arrested two men, 42-year-old Robert Duffy of Charlestown and 32-year-old Jeremy Folcik of Bridgewater, Massachusetts.

Boston Police linked the suspects to a drone incident that operated “dangerously close to Logan International Airport.” Both suspects were charged with trespassing.

With this case, Boston sends out a strong message, warning any drone enthusiast who thinks about having fun in restricted airspaces like airports during these times.

However, another arrest in California carries an even stronger warning, one of zero tolerance for foreign nationals involved in illegal drone operations in the U.S.

On December 11, the Central District of California announced that a Chinese citizen — with lawful permanent residency in the U.S. — was arrested just before catching a flight out of the country for allegedly flying a drone over the Vandenberg Space Force Base and taking photographs.

Yinpiao Zhou, a 39-year-old from Brentwood, was charged with failure to register an aircraft that is not providing transportation and violation of national defense airspace.

United States Attorney Martin Estrada said: “This defendant allegedly flew a drone over a military base and took photos of the base’s layout, which is against the law.

“The security of our nation is of paramount importance, and my office will continue to promote the safety of our nation’s military personnel and facilities.”

Homeland Security and FBI Calls Congress to Rapidly Enact New Laws

The FBI and Homeland Security said that their investigations in the northeastern U.S. states revealed that drones are not a threat to the public or national security.

However, federal agencies in the communication urged U.S. Congress to enact counter-UAS legislation as soon as possible. They said in a joint statement:

“Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones.

“We have not identified anything anomalous and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast.

“We urge Congress to enact counter-UAS legislation when it reconvenes that would extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities to identify and mitigate any threat that may emerge.”

Me, every night in New Jersey waiting for a drone. pic.twitter.com/mphnHf2BsI

— G (@stevensongs) December 11, 2024

When it comes to drones over American airspace, no single federal agency or centralized program deals with these incidents alone.

From the FAA to the DoD, Pentagon, military, and even the FCC, each has its own rules, technologies, and drone response strategies, and agencies often operate in siloed environments.

Additionally, each state in the U.S. may also have its own drone laws.

The U.S. Congress’s approach to drones has also been siloed and fragmented. Laws like the 2023 American Security Drone Act prohibit federal government agencies from buying or operating drones assembled or manufactured in foreign countries like China. But they do not go further than that.

The Role of Drones and Iron Domes in Modern Warfare

The ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have shown that drones are now being used in modern warfare theaters like never before.

From espionage to sabotage to straight-out suicide drones and bombers, drones can be weaponized, are cheap, and can be scaled to never-seen-before swarm proportions, with attacks that include thousands of drone deployments becoming the norm.

On December 15, Reuters reported that U.S. lawmakers from both parties are frustrated over the government’s lack of transparency and action toward drone incidents.

President Donald Trump’s pick for national security adviser, Mike Waltz, told the press that the drone incidents reveal the gaps in air security. Waltz said:

“What the drone issue points out are kind of gaps in our agencies, gaps in our authorities between the Department of Homeland Security, local law enforcement, the Defense Department.”

Media: Why does it have to be a classified briefing if the drones are hobbyist drones and not military ones?

Pentagon: We’re not telling you.pic.twitter.com/HJ3J8riT7C

— Paul A. Szypula ???? (@Bubblebathgirl) December 17, 2024

During the presidential campaign, President Trump advocated for the engineering of an ‘American Iron Dome’ — a project that draws inspiration from Israel’s Iron Dome.

Israel’s Iron Dome has responded to numerous and, at times, overwhelming drone attacks but with sophisticated precision and efficiency.

Trump’s pick for national security adviser, Waltz, said that the American Iron Dome should also be able to respond to drones.

“[The American Iron Dome] needs to include drones as well, not just adversarial actions like hypersonic missiles.”

The drone incidents in the U.S. are an opportunity for the country to modernize its drone response, defense, and deterrence air security strategies. Better coordination and communication among the different agencies that respond to drone incidents and the honest recognition of the threat that drones pose are essential.

Because drones can be witnessed by citizens, transparency, communication, and awareness programs that inform the public are also important. Holistic systems like Israel’s Iron Dome have proven to be an effective infrastructure that provides security and solutions not just to the military but to civilians as well — without breaching their rights.

The Bottom Line

As drone technology becomes more accessible on all fronts, governments race to manage the new technologies that present new challenges.

When thousands of drones are flying over military bases and through states for weeks, leading to speculation and investigations, something needs to be done.

Whether it be through an American Iron Dome or newly enacted legislation, the U.S. is still playing catch up with the waves of emerging drone technologies.

FAQs