Why is the military flying drones over US soil?
An official report released last week shows that the United States Department of Defense (DoD) has (UAS), or drones, over US territory the last 10 years.
The report, completed last March by the Defense Department Inspector General office, highlights the DoD鈥檚 use of UAS assets in the US since an interim guidance on domestic drone operations was released in September, 2006.聽Background for the report included a review of DoD policies and federal statutes, as well as interviews with representatives from various DoD offices including the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and the National Security Agency.
Even as the US continues its drone operations overseas, the DoD report found fewer than 20 instances of requests for the domestic use of drone aircraft through the past decade. And of those requests, several were denied. While a complete listing of drone exercises was not made public, the comprising of nine UAS operations between 2011 and 2016, all involving either training or assistance to first responders.
The DoD has also posted an on its website.
Following its review of DoD drone operations and the regulations surrounding them, the Inspector General's office found that the Defense Department 鈥渢akes the issue of DoD UAS support to domestic civil authorities very seriously,鈥� adding that 鈥淕reat care is taken by DoD personnel to protect the American public's civil liberties and privacy rights.鈥�
鈥淥ur review of UAS policy implementation across the department, coupled with our unit visits to discuss actual events, did not reveal evidence that any DoD entity has employed a UAS or conducted [Processing, Exploitation, and Dissemination] in support of domestic civil authorities contrary to laws, regulations, or national policies,鈥� the report concluded.
The Inspector General also found that while units utilizing drones 鈥渦nderstand the American public's legitimate concerns about civil liberties and privacy rights, they do not operate UASs any differently from manned platforms with similar capabilities.鈥�
Additionally, the report included three recommendations regarding drone operations, all of which were met with 鈥渞esponsive鈥� comments from the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Policy, Homeland Defense & Global Security.
While the findings of the report appear to place such operations firmly within legal boundaries, concerns over the potential for ongoing spy missions over the US have prompted some to call for a revision to existing drone laws to more closely correspond with current technology.
鈥淪ometimes, new technology changes so rapidly that ,鈥� American Civil Liberties Union senior policy analyst Jay Stanley told USA Today, adding that 鈥淚t's important to remember that the American people do find this to be a very, very sensitive topic.鈥�
聽updated last year restricts 鈥渟urveillance on US persons鈥� using drones unless such action is 鈥減ermitted by law and approved by the Secretary of Defense.鈥� The directive also notes that the use of drones equipped with weaponry may only be used in US territory for training and testing purposes.
The transparent report on domestic drone usage stands in contrast to the US military鈥檚 harder-to-read history of lethal drone strikes and reconnaissance overseas. Despite President Obama鈥檚 2013 announcement that his administration would be more forthcoming regarding its foreign drone actions, Mr. Obama had made 鈥渧irtually no progress鈥� on drone policy since then.
The White House announced Monday that the US would disclose information on combatant and civilian casualties resulting from drone strikes abroad since 2009.
