A House committee hearing on uncrewed drones and the steps taken to counter potential risks surrounding them was held by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Thursday. In his opening remarks, chairman Troy Nehls (R-Texas) acknowledged the current social landscape of drone usage. 

“Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), also known as ‘drones,’ are extremely popular among the American people, so much so that there are more than one million drones registered with the FAA. And this number is expected to grow in the coming years,” he said. “Drones are increasingly being used by aviation hobbyists, professional photographers, real estate professionals, and law enforcement officials. Drone as first responder (DFR) programs have proven to be a crucial tool for law enforcement officials in their mission to protect and serve their communities in a timely and efficient manner.”

Catherine Cahill, director of the Alaska Center for UAS Integration (ACUASI), called for the U.S. to take steps to advance in drone detection technology.

“The U.S. needs to lead in the development, testing, and implementation of safe counter-drone technologies that allow the discrimination between unmanned aircraft, authorized unmanned aircraft, unauthorized unmanned aircraft, and manned aircraft,” she said.

Chris McLaughlin, the executive vice president of operations for Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, said he has not seen foreign entities operating drones around his airport.

“We are not aware of any foreign entities operating around my airport. Again, we’ve seen a limited number of unauthorized drone uses in restricted space. When we see those drones, we first try to identify the location of the pilot. We'll send our law enforcement team to interview that pilot.”

Nehls also acknowledged the difficulty the aviation community has faced in the wake of two airplane crashes in Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia.

“This past week has been devastating for the aviation community and the traveling public. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the victims and their families, and with all who have been affected by the accidents that occurred,” he said.