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1 1 (January 3, 2025)

handle is hein.crs/goverwk0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Drone Encounters Prompt Calls for Restrictions and Other Protections January 3, 2025 In October 2024, it was reported that suspected formations of drones had flown in airspace near Langley Air Force Base and naval facilities in Norfolk, VA, over multiple days. According to other reports, suspicious drones were seen in that area starting in December 2023. In December 2024, a barrage of reported drone sightings in the Northeast, mostly over New Jersey, were logged with state and local police and federal authorities, prompting congressional inquiries regarding the adequacy of available capabilities and existing authorities to detect drones and mitigate threats. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in a joint statement with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Defense (DOD), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), indicated that detection systems and trained observers were deployed to the Northeast to follow leads generated from more than 5,000 claimed drone sightings. They assessed that these sightings primarily could be attributed to lawful commercial, hobby, and law enforcement drones; airplanes and helicopters; and stars in the night sky. Remote Identification Requirements FAA regulations generally require most nonmilitary drones to broadcast position information and a unique identifier, referred to as Remote ID. This can be accomplished through built-in capabilities generally required for drones manufactured since September 2022, via Remote ID modules affixed to drones without bult-in capabilities, or by operating within the confines ofan FAA-recognized identification area (like a model aircraft park). FAA requires drone operators to register every three years. Recreational operators must complete online training and pass a safety test, and commercial drones must be operated by FAA-certificated remote pilots. Airspace Restrictions Small drones are generally restricted to altitudes below 400 feet and must remain within visual line of sight of the operator, although some commercial and governmental operators have obtained waivers to operate beyond visual line of sight. Drones may fly at night if equipped with approved anticollision lights visible for three statute miles. Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov IN12476 CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress