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The threat in clear an imminent. In an effort to prevent attacks or surveillance by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), the Secret Service issued a statement in earlier this month, that it would be conducting a series of exercises involving unmanned aircraft systems.
At the time, the Secret Service gave no indication of a discernible schedule – or any particular reason for the drills. With reports of drones flying near the White House late at night, the U.S. Secret Service has the capitol looking like a George Lucas set.
In some states, the sight of airborne robots wouldn’t be a big deal. In California or Nevada, civilian drone flights are 2015’s version of flying a kite over a park. In D.C., however, where the Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Security Administration have implemented a 20 nautical mile ban on unmanned flights, seeing drones in the round midnight is cause for alarm.
Powers that be seem hell-bent on being prepared for any eventuality, such as drone-based terrorist attacks. After all, that is what the Secret Service is for.
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According to News Mic, the alleged tests started shortly after a drone was seen flying over a military site near Paris. The French capital is still under high alert after the Charlie Hebdo shooting in January. Recently though, drones have been spotted near the U.S. embassy in Paris and other notable sites, as well as in other locations throughout France.
More often than not, drones belong to hobbyists trying to up their aerial videographer game. In store-bought UAVs, an included GPS unit is programmed with coordinates to avoid high-security sites like airports and government buildings. Those without such security features are kept away by other technology at those sensitive sites.
As UAV technology improves, the legalities need to be addressed. So do more malicious uses. For instance, if a $1,400 drone tailored for filmmaking can carry six pounds of meth across the Mexican border with the U.S., what’s to stop a smaller model from carrying a one-pound explosive to a government building, especially if one could crash-land on the White House lawn?
