US bases are still being buzzed by drones. The military is unsure about how or why to put an end to them.

Concerns that the US lacks a clear government-wide policy for handling unauthorized incursions that can potentially pose a national security danger have been rekindled by a string of drone sightings over military installations around the nation.

The Langley drone invasions occurred a year ago, while the PRC spy balloon was nearly two years ago. Gen. Glen VanHerck, the recently retired head of NORAD and US Northern Command, said CNN, "Why don't we have a single [point of contact] who is responsible for coordination across all organizations in the government to address this?" "Instead, everyone is blaming one another and claiming that we are not accountable."

Indeed, since enigmatic drone swarms were observed last year near Joint Base Langley-Eustis and other critical military locations in Virginia, as well as when a Chinese spy balloon passed over the continental United States in 2023, there have been numerous cases of drone incursions over military bases.

Unmanned aerial systems, or drones, entered the airspace of the Marine Corps base Camp Pendleton in California six times over six days earlier this month, a spokesperson told CNN, adding that there was "no threat to installation operations and no impact to air and ground operations." In the past month, there have also been occurrences at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey, and Naval Weapons Station Earle in New Jersey.

In relation to the California incident, a Chinese national who is a lawful permanent resident of the United States was recently taken into custody.

Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Rob Spalding, a former senior director for strategic planning on the National Security Council and chief China strategist for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, described the drone incidents as "a problem that has been brewing for over a decade and we have basically failed to address it."

It's unclear exactly what the drones could be doing; they might be harmless hobbyists operating drones too close to restricted areas, or they might be trying to gather intelligence on the base or test its defenses and response time.

A rush of sightings in several states

However, the problem isn't limited to military locations; in recent weeks, a wave of drone sightings in several states has attracted media attention and prompted legislators to demand action from the government. Attributing many of the sightings to understandable cases of confusion with manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, or hobbyist drones, officials have emphasized that they do not believe the drones reported in New Jersey and other states represent a national security or public safety risk.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby stated last week, "I can't rule out the fact that we might find some sort of illegal or criminal activity, some nefarious activity, (but) all I can do is tell you that right now we see none of that."

However, just because drones aren't directly affecting the military or military installations "doesn't mean it's not a national security issue," a Senate staffer familiar with conversations on drone defense and strategy told CNN.

Officials claim that there is no unified procedure to identify which agency is in charge of responding to such activities or how to identify the drones' origins, despite the invasions and the potential risks they pose. CNN said this week that although legislation is being considered and the Pentagon recently unveiled its strategy for fighting unmanned systems, government agencies have found it difficult to keep up with the advancement of drones and drone technology, especially by foes like China.

"If it's not strictly DOD then it must be DHS, but we just kind of go 'round and 'round," the Senate aide said, referring to the gray area between posing a threat to the public and providing a risk to the military.

Military officials and legislators have frequently and openly highlighted the difficulties facing the US national security establishment in conducting drone operations, as well as operations in the cyber and information environments. VanHerck stated in a NORAD/NORTHCOM posture statement in 2023 that the United States needs to "move beyond outdated assumptions and plans" to protect the country.

"In a time of extraordinary technological advancement and innovation, rigid, antiquated procedures are a bigger obstacle to success than many of our competitors' capability improvements," he stated.

In an opinion piece published in the Washington Post at the start of 2024, Senators Jack Reed and Roger Wicker, the two heads of the Senate Armed Services Committee, raised the alarm that the United States "lacks adequate drone detection capability" and that agencies "lack clear lines of authority about which agency is responsible for stopping these incursions."

Although military stations are empowered to defend themselves and react to threats, it can be challenging to identify the drone's origin and purpose if it enters airspace and then departs, according to a former senior military officer. According to the former official, military law enforcement usually coordinates with civilian law enforcement off base in such cases, but their capabilities are frequently constrained by rules that limit the gathering of intelligence within US borders.

Keeping current with a recent development

However, sources also stated that the inability to do more sometimes results from the US's failure to give defense against this type of action top priority. According to the Senate aide, the subject is "such a relatively new phenomenon that the law has not caught up and the agencies have not adapted quickly enough."

They stated that until there is "clear leadership from the White House, this is all going to keep spinning," but concluded that "we're going to get there, but it's a pretty surprising gap that can be exploited."

The national security apparatus hasn't responded swiftly enough to domestic threats, according to experts, who also cited what they called a widespread perception in the US that violence mostly occurs outside. With the advancement of technology, Spalding claimed that the US has been "focused on the away game, which has left us incredibly vulnerable at home."

"We believe that the conflict will take place somewhere else, such as in the South China Sea, Taiwan, or Europe with Russia. Right now, in the information realm or cyber domain, it's happening every day here," VanHerck told CNN.

"Numerous high-ranking military leaders have testified before Congress throughout the years on the United States' domain knowledge gaps and restrictions.' ability to detect drones and more broadly defend the homeland," the former senior military source said. The person added that although parliamentarians appear to be knowledgeable of the issue and generally sympathetic, policy hasn't reflected this understanding.

This week, the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigations, and Federal Aviation Administration issued a joint statement emphasizing the need for Congressional action. The agencies said they urge Congress to pass counter-UAS legislation when it reconvenes to extend and broaden current counter-drone authorities to identify and mitigate any possible threat."

"Unless we can raise the alarm at a much higher level and deal with the political repercussions of the fallout, [the drone issue] is not something we can deal with at scale anytime soon," Spalding stated.