Military bases get OK to destroy private and commercial drones
In an effort to crack down on drone use over military installations, the Pentagon has given more than 130 U.S. military bases across the country the authority to destroy private and commercial drones that are deemed a threat.
The Pentagon publicly announced the new policy Monday, saying that increased use of commercial and private drones has prompted safety and security concerns at its installations. The classified policy details how military personnel can counter a drone threat, including tracking, disabling and destroying the unmanned aircraft, depending on the circumstances and the type of installation where the activity is detected.
Following the approval of the policy in July, additional public information was sent late last week to military bases around the country so that they could alert their surrounding communities of the restrictions and actions that can now be taken, according to the Pentagon.
Chris Zendan, spokesman for the Naval Submarine Base, said that it's longstanding policy not to discuss base security posture, protocols or certain threats. The base has had its own drone policy for more than a year, he added, but did not specify any details about the policy.
"Though we do not discuss specific force-protection measures, we of course retain the right of self-defense," Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, Pentagon spokesman, was quoted in a DoD news article as saying. "And when it comes to UAS or drones operating over military installations, this new guidance does afford us the ability to take action to stop those threats."
The Federal Aviation Administration, which helped to develop the new Pentagon policy, estimates that the number of hobby and commercial drones will reach 7 million by 2020, compared to the estimated 2.5 million today.
In April, the FAA restricted drone use over 133 military installations due to security concerns. The agency said it was the first time it established such a restriction specifically applying to drones. It restricted drone flights up to 400 feet within the lateral boundaries of those military facilities.