The order directed federal agencies to establish counter-drone training programs and make grants available to non-federal agencies seeking to buy drones.
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to strengthen the United States against threats posed by drones and to encourage innovation in domestic drone technology manufacturing.
Michael Kratsios, who serves as director for the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, said the June 6 order works to eliminate unlawful drone use throughout the country and help law enforcement assert more control over domestic airspace.
“The administration is cracking down on unlawful drone use, ordering a federal task force to ensure U.S. control over American skies, and prioritizing the detection and identification of drones in real time,” Kratsios told reporters during a press call on June 6.
The order comes less than a week after the danger posed by commercial drones was laid bare by Ukrainian attacks on Russian air bases.
The attacks saw Ukrainian intelligence agents use more than 100 inexpensive commercial-first drones to destroy between 10 and 12 of Russia’s nuclear bombers and damage many more aircraft.
Sebastian Gorka, senior director for counterterrorism at the National Security Council, said that Trump’s new order would help to better shield U.S. sites from similar attacks while also encouraging greater commercial innovation in the drone industry.
“Drones are a disruptive technology,” Gorka said. “They have an amazing potential for both good and ill.”
“The timing [of the order] couldn’t even be better than it is today, given what we witnessed with the remarkable drone operation that occurred just a few days ago in Russia,” he added.
Gorka said that the order would help the United States better secure its military installations, critical infrastructure, and mass gatherings such as concerts and sporting events from drone attacks.
To that end, the executive order establishes a federal task force to review and modernize the nation’s regulatory frameworks for drones, and encourages the timelier publication of a list of foreign drone manufacturers deemed to be a national security risk.
