Interior Secretary Grounds Foreign UAS Over Cybersecurity Concerns

Looming concerns over the federal government’s use of foreign unmanned aircraft systems has caused the Secretary of the Interior to call for the temporary cessation of all non-emergency unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) effective immediately. The Department of the Interior (DOI) has been using drones to carry out a variety of wildfire responses and surveillance missions.

As Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt explains in the order issued Wednesday, “The Department invested in a fleet of UAS to help meet its multiple statutory obligations. These obligations vary, but at times they include emergency management, fighting wildland fires, conducting search and rescue, surveying Federal land, collecting research data, and assisting law enforcement, among others. The Department has been a leader in deploying UAS to better achieve its goals.”

The department currently uses a variety of UAS, including drones and similar technologies that are remotely controlled and subject to Federal Aviation Administration regulations.

Dawn Stevenson of the Federal Times reported last year, “Drones enable DOI to carry out wildfire response at night, while helicopters can only operate eight hours a day. This extended window for surveillance and operations is critical for work that is time-sensitive, giving responders a much better chance of containing wildfires.”

The department reports that drone operations require 1/7th of the time other missions require and only 1/10th of the resources.

However, a Presidential Determination issued in June found that the “domestic production capability for small unmanned aerial systems is essential to the national defense.” Similarly, a bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced legislation in December to prohibit the federal government from purchasing drones manufactured in countries identified as national security threats.

“Drones manufactured by foreign adversaries should be nowhere near the federal government,” said Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI) in a press release introducing the legislation. “Purchasing this equipment from countries like China uses taxpayer dollars to support the Chinese Communist Party’s near-monopoly on this critical market, while also posing a serious national security threat.”

Secretary Bernhardt notes in the order that the department is taking steps to ensure their procurement needs account for cybersecurity concerns, technological consideration, and facilitate domestic production capabilities. Until such reviews are completed, the UAS fleet is “grounded with the exception of emergency operations.”

The order gives the agency 30 days to consult with other federal agencies to develop further guidance on the issue and establish procedures for moving forward.