The U.S. government faces multiple challenges as well as opportunities when it comes to addressing the threats posed by unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS, MITRE said in a report released Friday.
Drone Acquisition & Operation
According to the not-for-profit corporation, one of the challenges in countering UAS threats is the ease by which drones can be acquired and operated. Related to this matter is the ability of drones to overcome traditional countermeasure capabilities, like signal jamming.
Opportunities to address these include the government looking into alternative types of equipment ownership, rental or lease agreements. The government can also implement incentives to motivate industry to develop new technologies to enhance air domain awareness or defeat drones altogether.
Integration Into NAS
Another challenge faced by the government is the integration of authorized UAS into the National Airspace System, or NAS. MITRE describes this issue as “multifaceted” that is made more complicated by several other factors, including cybersecurity, privacy and airspace congestion. Nevertheless, opportunities remain in terms of the enforcement of UAS remote identification as well as the deployment of UAS traffic management. Collaboration with federal security partners is key.
Counter-UAS Infrastructure
A third challenge involves the lack of processes and infrastructure across the U.S. designed specifically to handle the legitimate use of drones and to counter their illicit use. According to MITRE, opportunities to address this challenge involve public-private partnerships.
Soft Targets & Crowded Places
A fourth challenge has to do with UAS being used to threaten soft targets and crowded places. MITRE notes that many security partners lack the resources to safeguard such targets. The federal government can step in and call for additional resources, including personnel, equipment and training, to bolster counter-UAS efforts at such locations.
Expanding Legal Authorities
MITRE went on to note that maximizing these opportunities does not only involve providing resources and coordinating and collaborating with various agencies and levels of government; it would also involve the expansion of legal authorities.
