Congress asks FAA how it will track and counter drones as UAS operations surge
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Summary
Members pressed the FAA on its ability to count, track and mitigate unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in U.S. airspace; the agency said it is expanding drone-detection testing, working on UAS traffic management and coordinating with DHS, DOD and law enforcement on mitigation tools.
Lawmakers pressed Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau about drone detection, UAS traffic management and national security risks as drone operations increase and commercial uses expand.
Why it matters: Rapid growth in unmanned aircraft operations raises concerns about airspace safety, possible malicious use and the need for detection and mitigation capability integrated into the National Airspace System.
Representative Gonzales and others asked whether the FAA can identify “how many drones were in U.S. airspace yesterday.” Rocheleau answered that the FAA does not currently know every single drone flight but is working with registered, legal operators and experimenting with UAS traffic management systems that can count and manage many authorized flights. He said demonstrations in Texas and other locations showed promising UAS traffic management capabilities. “The systems that we have in place and the companies that we work with ... will keep count of the drones you're talking about,” he said, while acknowledging that unregistered hobbyist flights present a detection challenge.
On detection and mitigation testing, Rocheleau reviewed the FAA’s prior tests, including the multi-airport detection and mitigation trials in which Huntsville was a site. He said 48 drones and 30 types of detection equipment were tested across several airport demonstrations and found detection capabilities exist. Rocheleau emphasized mitigation must be coordinated with law enforcement and national security partners because mitigation tools can affect civil aviation operations.
Members raised national-security concerns about small commercial drones being adapted for lethal purposes; Rocheleau said FAA coordinates closely with the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security and DOJ on counter-UAS work but deferred broader national-security assessments to those agencies. He also noted the agency’s FY2026 budget request includes investments for drone detection and mitigation capacities and asked Congress for support to deploy detection and mitigation technologies where appropriate.
Lawmakers requested more detail on the FAA’s capabilities to catalogue UAS in the airspace, the agency’s reliance on UAS traffic management for registered operators, and follow-up briefings on coordination with DHS and DoD for counter-UAS operations.
