What’s the Buzz on Drones?

If you are flying a drone in U.S. airspace, other than as a hobbyist in a fairly narrow range (and even there are rules and regulations), you may well need a license and will most certainly have to adhere to a set of very strict F.A.A. regulations: “The FAA’s final rule for small, unmanned aircraft went into effect on August 29, 2016. It provides specific safety regulations for non-recreational use of unmanned aircraft weighing less than 55 pounds. That means UAS users who want to fly for commercial use (such as providing aerial surveying or photography services) or fly incidental to a business (such as performing roof inspections or real estate photography) must follow these regulations. For more information about how this rule will impact the specific way you are flying your UAS, visit the business or government entities pages on this website. To learn more or if you have any questions, check out the FAA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems page here or email the FAA directly at UAShelp@faa.gov.” knowbeforeyoufly.org. And when it comes to truly large drones (over 55 lbs), you fall into an entirely different set of statutes and regulations.

We used to call them model airplanes, and those hobbyists still regularly fly and compete in that category. But with cameras and an ability to carry a payload, commercially-available drones are very much a part of our day-to-day commercial fabric. Amazon is exploring drone-deliveries, and there are even taxi-applications that might someday be used to ferry passengers above the fray of heavy road traffic. Lot of regulations are needed. There are lots of serious liability and privacy concerns that need to be addressed. Increasingly federal and local governments have systems that can electronically disable an offending drone (see below), and there are serious civil and criminal liabilities for individuals who send drones where they do not belong (e.g., over restricted airspace, in commercial flight paths, etc.).

On the military side, drones have become a mainstay of combat. Aircraft, many the size of small planes, are able to conduct day or night surveillance, carry large payloads of munitions and supplies behind enemy lines, and are fully capable of carrying highly targetable missiles and smart bombs right on top of an enemy position (or even against enemy aircraft or ships). Pilots are safely ensconced, often hundreds, even thousands of miles away. Of course,  while military-grade drones can be very, very pricey, the problem is that too many drones are a whole lot more accessible and a lot less expensive than buying and maintaining traditional manned military aircraft.

You can just go online and see thousands of sites where you can purchase a drone for not a lot of money, drones that most definitely can carry a devastating payload and drop or deliver that payload with deadly force. Complete with remote cameras and easy-to-operate instructions. Don’t want to buy a fully-assembled drone? The components necessary to build a “model airplane” – even a really large “model airplane” – are ubiquitous and relatively cheap. And very customizable.

Don’t believe me, ask the ISIS fighters who used fairly sophisticated drones against their opponents (including U.S. soldiers) with reasonable effectiveness. Terrorists are delighted that they can create de facto air forces against traditional military opponents… while adding one more system to inflict terrorism and maximize civilian casualties. But wait, there’s more.

There was cheering among detractors of Venezuela’s populist strongman, Nicholas Maduro, as drones were used on an August 4^th assassination attempt on his life. “Maduro was addressing hundreds of uniformed soldiers Saturday [8/4] in a speech celebrating the 81st anniversary of the National Guard when an explosion pierced the air. Authorities say two drones, each packed with a kilogram (2.2 pounds) of C-4 plastic explosive [very powerful, military-grade], were aimed at the stage where Maduro, his wife and a slate of the nation's highest-ranking government leaders were gathered.” ABC News, August 6^th. Maduro escaped unscathed, plotters were soon arrested, and the dictator promptly blamed both Colombia and the United States as the secret forces behind the effort. Both nations denied such complicity.

But the bad news is how easy drones can be deployed against sensitive or often defenseless targets. “The attack — apparently the first of its kind — confirms the fears of some security officials that cheap, commercially available drones could be used for violent acts. And it highlights efforts to develop counter-drone technology, a market that defense industry analysts expect will only grow.

“The Defense Department has spoken for years about new technologies that would give “non-state actors” the ability to strike against U.S. forces, bases and allies, said Mark Gunzinger, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments think tank. He said the Venezuelan drone attack was the first time he had heard of a drone being used like this against a public figure.

“The airspace around Washington, D.C., is the most restricted in the nation. Drone flight is prohibited within a 15-mile radius of the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, unless an operator has specific authorization from the Federal Aviation Administration. Nonetheless, a quadcopter crashed on the White House lawn in 2015.

“Two years earlier, a drone crash-landed in front of German Chancellor Angela Merkel at a campaign event in Germany.

“‘This is just another case where we’re seeing unmanned systems technology being used for just that purpose,’ Gunzinger said. ‘I guess we should be surprised they haven’t been used before for that purpose.’

“Jamming, or interrupting, the radio frequencies that link a specific drone with its controller is the most common anti-drone measure, said James Lewis, senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.

“Researchers at Aerospace Corp. in El Segundo have been working to perfect a different type of control over the radio frequencies drones use to communicate. A team there has investigated the possibility of isolating the exact frequency used by a drone at a specific time. In several tests, the researchers were able to successfully take over the unmanned aerial vehicle’s controls and land it safely.

“Nets are another common technique used to nab a drone in close proximity to a sensitive or high-risk area, Lewis said. And companies such as Raytheon Co. have developed directed-energy systems to shoot drones out of the sky.

“Raytheon’s Phaser uses high-powered microwaves to fry errant drones’ circuits. The microwaves of energy ‘induce very, very small surges of current in electrical circuits, disrupt it and burn it out,’ causing the drone to lose guidance, Gunzinger said.” Los Angeles Times, August 7^th. Good news? Not necessarily any, because those systems have to be in place where drones might be deployed. And that is everywhere.

I’m Peter Dekom, and the notion of living an ordinary life in relative safety appears to be slip-sliding away even in the United States, awash in military assault weapons and massive numbers of drones hovering everywhere.