Ridge, N.Y.: A drone is seen over Ridge, New York, on Thursday evening, on Dec. 12, 2024.(Photo by … [+]
On December 18, 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration banned drones around infrastructure, including PSE&G electrical substations, a nuclear power plant, ports, and trucking warehouses. The ban for drones covers two nautical-mile-wide areas in New Jersey and New York.
The decision comes after an increase in drone sightings in both areas. The FAA order says no unmanned aircraft can operate below 400 feet within one nautical mile of the airspace specified in each town. The order allows for some exceptions for first responders and certain commercial drones.
According to the FAA, there are more than one million lawfully registered drones in the US, and New Jersey has more than 13,000.
With the recent ban from the FAA due to the increase in drone activity over New Jersey, the FBI, FAA, Defense Department and the Department of Homeland Security released a joint statement that said out of the notable leads from the more than 5,000 reported drone sightings and determined the sightings to date are a “combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones.”
Preventative measures
Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) sightings over New Jersey and other states raise questions about the potential risks caused by drones and the pilots who fail to meet FAA standards.
Tombo Jones is the director of Virginia Tech’s Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership (MAAP). MAAP accelerates the unmanned aircraft industry by connecting industry problems with solutions from innovative research. It is one of only seven FAA-designated UAS test sites.
Jones and his team, along with Virginia Tech’s National Security Institute, are researching the critical threats posed by the rise of commercial-off-the-shelf UAS and systems manufactured by foreign adversaries.
Jones says that while drones can do a lot of good, there has been an uptick in drones being used for nefarious purposes. “That’s where the unique blend of UAS and national security research at Virginia Tech can help the federal government confront this rapidly evolving threat landscape,” said Jones in a prepared statement.
“As the technologies evolve, detecting and mitigating the threats of drones becomes even more essential,” said Jones. “It can be difficult to detect drones, determine their intent, and keep drones away from sensitive areas or critical infrastructure.”
“There are different systems designed or in development to detect and counter drones, but they each have strengths and weaknesses,” said Jones. “Understanding which systems work best in different environments and which systems should be paired with one another to provide robust security is a complex problem.”
Jones says the FAA has a number of rules in place for drone operators.
“This includes a mandate that requires all drones to broadcast information to allow law enforcement to determine the purpose of drone flights and who is operating those drones,” said Jones. “It is also in the process of making a rule that will designate certain infrastructure as critical, a rule intended to provide drone operators with a notice of where they shouldn’t fly.”
Jones said Virginia Tech’s specialized facilities and unique combination of expertise make it a vital partner in advancing the nation’s counter-UAS priorities.
Testing and work at the research center create an indoor and outdoor lab for controlled and real-world testing. “This testing facility gives us the opportunity to improve counter UAS systems so they can better detect drones and protect our vulnerable resources,” said Jones.
“The MAAP has led drone-related research on behalf of the US Departments of Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security, and the Federal Aviation Administration. He added that the university is currently engaged with the US Army on a new counter-UAS testing and research center.
The new FAA restrictions are in effect for drones from December 18, 2024, through January 17, 2025.
