Washington enhances cooperation among its ministries to counter drone threats and protect its airspace

Washington, Sept 11 (KUNA) – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on Monday the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Departments of Transportation, Defense, Energy, and Justice to expand joint government efforts aimed at coordinating responses to the latest drone-related threats without compromising civil aviation safety.

In a statement, the department said that the ministries and their affiliated agencies would, through this comprehensive whole-of-government approach, “enhance their cooperation to adapt to the latest drone-related threats while ensuring that these technologies do not negatively impact flight operations or air navigation equipment.”

It noted that the memorandum of understanding “was led by the White House Working Group to Restore U.S. Airspace Sovereignty” and represents “an interagency framework for evaluating and deploying counter-drone technologies to protect aviation safety and strengthen national security.”

The department added that this effort builds on existing cooperation between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and its federal partners, which included the implementation of temporary flight restrictions along the U.S. southern border and a comprehensive safety assessment of the high-energy laser system designed for counter-drone operations, developed by the Department of Defense.

Homeland Security Secretary Marco Rubio, in a statement included in the announcement, said this step would help “address the threats posed by cartel drones, protect our personnel, and enhance security in the airspace above the border.”

For his part, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy affirmed that, through the memorandum of understanding, the government is adopting “a proactive and comprehensive approach to protect U.S. airspace from emerging threats in the 21st century.”

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford noted that “the agreement complements ongoing efforts with our federal partners and establishes a consistent mechanism ensuring that counter-drone technologies can be used without compromising aviation safety.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the agreement aims to “remove bureaucratic barriers to protect U.S. airspace from threats posed by hostile or unauthorized drones,” adding that his department, through this whole-of-government approach, would “rapidly deploy advanced capabilities to protect our southern borders and secure critical military installations.”

Energy Secretary Chris Wright emphasized that “protecting America’s energy infrastructure is vital to our national security, and by enhancing coordination among various government agencies, we can deploy advanced technologies to safeguard our nation’s most critical assets.”

Meanwhile, Attorney General Todd Blanche said his department is working with its federal government partners “to counter airspace intrusion threats from drones and prosecute individuals who endanger the public.”

FBI Director Kash Patel, according to the same statement, expressed his belief that the agreement would “enhance the testing of new tools to counter drones and coordinate missions to avoid any overlap.” (End) R.S.R./F.A.S.