Col. Patrick Duggan is the commander of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia. His career has taken him to Afghanistan and Iraq, and now he is a base commander in Washington and is worried about illegal drone flights over the capital.

His fears are not unfounded. Duggan believes that drones are a growing security threat. There are some sensitive areas that have been designated as no-fly zones in Washington and for a period of about 2 months last summer, Duggan’s technicians recorded almost 100 drones flying over these restricted areas. The figures are only from 2 posts that he oversees, so it’s possible the real numbers are much greater.

Most drone operators are not well-informed about no-fly zones. Duggan is not sure if these operators can be classed as lawbreakers, but one thing he’s sure of is that potential dangers of drones. He feels strongly that the United States is not prepared for terrorist activities involving drones.  In November last year, Congress voted to expand the Defense Department’s powers on anti-drone within America. The President signed this bill under a major defense bill just last month.

Millions of drones have been sold in the US over the last year. This last Christmas alone saw a huge boost in sales as drones were one of the hottest items of the year. However, many of the issues that concern drone legislation are still unresolved.  Although any technological device can be viewed as a security threat, many experts believe that drones are in a new playing field of their own and must be regulated.  As high-end drones enter the market with newer technology, experts like Duggan believe that we are not prepared to handle the risks.

In 2016, a team at Eglin Air Force Base put together an analysis on the threat of drones. This Florida-based team specializes in counter drone operations and their report stated that major assets in the US have already been attacked by drone operators. The report also stated that there have been verified deaths attributed to the use of drones and that it’s only a matter of time before drones become directly responsible for the loss of critical infrastructure in America.

Many experts have called for tighter drone legislation. Before the House Armed Services Committee last year, John Hyten a top military officer made known his concerns about unauthorized UAVs flying over navy and air force bases. He believes that drones are also a growing threat to the safety and security of nuclear weapons in the country.

It’s been over three years since a drone crashed into the White House grounds. Secret service and federal authorities have not forgotten that experience and since then, some detection systems have been put in place in Washington – although the coverage is limited to certain areas. But we can certainly expect new regulations and laws put into place to help prevent more situations like this.