The key facts

  • Five US federal agencies signed a memorandum on jointly countering drone threats
  • The initiative is coordinated by the White House task force on restoring American airspace sovereignty
  • The agencies, together with the FAA and FCC, will develop systems to detect, track, disable, and take control of drones

Memorandum of five agencies

Five US federal agencies — Transportation, Defense, Homeland Security, Energy, and Justice — announced on Monday an expansion of joint efforts to counter drone threats, strengthen national security, and protect civil aviation. The initiative is formalized in a memorandum of understanding under the leadership of the White House task force on restoring American airspace sovereignty, Anadolu reports.

What the agreement provides

The document establishes a coordinated federal process for evaluating, testing, and deploying counter-drone technologies to protect US airspace, critical infrastructure, and national security interests. It builds on existing cooperation between the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other agencies: previously, a temporary flight restriction along the US southern border was introduced, and a comprehensive safety assessment of the Pentagon's high-energy laser counter-drone system was completed.

Who will do what

Under the memorandum, the participating agencies will work closely with the FAA and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on systems designed to detect, track, disable, or take control of dangerous or unauthorized drones. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy called the approach