In an effort to keep the national airspace safe from drones, the Federal Aviation Administration is looking into new ways to detect the misuse of drones around restricted airport space. The agency announced it is joining forces with industry and academic partners to evaluate drone detection technology.
The research is already taking place at one of the nation’s busiest airports: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York.
“We face many difficult challenges as we integrate rapidly evolving UAS technology into our complex and highly regulated airspace,” said Marke Gibson, senior advisor on UAS integration at the FAA. “This effort at JFK reflects everyone’s commitment to safety.”
The FAA has been using a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) UAS detection system at JFK since May 2. The tests are designed to analyze the effectiveness of the FBI’s system, and they expand on previous research from the Atlantic City International Airport.
Other participants in the study include the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Queens District Attorney’s Office, and the Port of Authority of New York and New Jersey.
“We applaud the FBI and FAA for their efforts to detect and track unmanned aerial systems (UAS),” said Thomas Bosco, director for the Port Authority’s Aviation Department. “We look forward to supporting continued U.S. Government efforts to identify and deploy countermeasures to neutralize the threat posed by rogue UASes.”
