Timmons Opens Hearing on Addressing Unauthorized Drone Activity Over Military Installations

WASHINGTON—Today, Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs Chairman William Timmons (R-S.C.) delivered opening remarks at “Securing the Skies: Addressing Unauthorized Drone Activity Over Military Installations.” In his opening statement, Chairman Timmons brought to attention hostile adversaries’ many coordinated attempts to use unauthorized drones to collect intelligence and surveil sensitive U.S. military equipment. He called out the Biden Administration’s lack of leadership and mitigation of the issue and praised President Trump for taking action to protect military installations from exposure. Chairman Timmons concluded that full accountability, expedited technological upgrades, and enhanced oversight are needed to further reform military readiness and protect U.S. sovereignty.  

Below are Subcommittee Chairman Timmons’s remarks as prepared for delivery. 

Good afternoon. Thank you for joining us today as we discuss one of the most complex and serious threats to our national security – the unauthorized use of unmanned aerial systems, or UAS, over U.S. military installations and sensitive sites.  

In recent years, we’ve seen a surge in drone incursions over military installations across the country.  

In 2024, the Department of Defense stated that there are more than one million drones registered in the United States and estimated that there are more than 8,500 drones are flown legally across the country, every day.  

I’ve seen these drone incursions firsthand during my time in the Air National Guard. 

However, these incursions are not from hobbyists being blown off course. The multitude of drones reported flying over bases in the past several years revealed a coordinated effort by our adversaries to collect valuable intelligence and surveillance of some of our most sensitive military equipment.  

This threat is magnified by the complex regulatory and prosecutorial framework that was patched together by the Biden Administration in a poor attempt to address this issue.  

Right now, the Department of Defense, Federal Aviation Administration, Intelligence Community, Department of Justice, and Department of Homeland Security are all involved in some aspects of the counter UAS efforts.  

As a result, there is no agency with primary authority on countering drone incursions, leading to confusion, and more importantly, gaps on how to identify and mitigate this threat.  

This inter-agency failure was on full display last winter when hundreds of drones were spotted in the skies above New Jersey and other parts of the northeast.  

After several temporary flight restrictions and mass confusion among local, state, and federal partners, the Biden Administration provided the public zero answers on what was happening above them.  

However, within only a few weeks of taking office, the Trump Administration stepped up to the plate and revealed that the drones over New Jersey were authorized by the FAA.  

This instance raises multiple questions as to why the Biden Administration left the American people in the dark for over a month, when they knew the simple truth?  

Another notable incident occurred at Langley Air Force Base in December 2023. 

Over seventeen days, unidentified drones repeatedly breached our sensitive military space near one of America’s most critical installations. 

F-22 Raptor squadrons were moved to alternate bases to lessen exposure, and discussions were initiated on installing physical countermeasures. 

These are not isolated incidents.  

In February, the Commander of NORAD and NORTHCOMM testified to Congress that there were 350 detections of drones at 100 different military installations last year alone.  

Additionally, since 2023, two Chinese nationals have been arrested for illegally flying drones over military installations to conduct surveillance. One of these individuals was caught attempting to flee the U.S. and return to China with the sensitive footage he had recorded.  

Today, this Committee will hear from officials from the Department of Defense on what the Trump Administration is doing to help combat this issue and bring an end to these illegal drone incursions.  

We must demand full accountability, expedited technological upgrades, and enhanced oversight to safeguard our sovereignty and ensure our military remains unexposed to foreign surveillance and potential threats.  

I am hopeful that our witnesses here today have suggestions on how Congress can help empower the right federal agencies to combat this problem and secure the skies above our military bases.  

And, with that, I yield to Ranking Member Subramanyam for his opening statement.