By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Concerns are being raised in Washington about the proliferation of drones and whether there needs to be more federal regulation of them.
The Senate Judiciary Committee has heard testimony on the potential threat drones pose to national security.
Chair of the House Transportation Committee, Sam Graves of northern Missouri, says his committee is considering legislation. Graves, a pilot, tells of his experience with a drone during an air show in Georgia as he waited in the wings.
“I saw just out of the corner of my eye and then it went by in a flash and almost hit the windscreen on the airplane that I was flying was a drone that was in the air illegally. It was in a controlled airspace. It was up there taking pictures evidently is what it was doing and it almost hit me,” Graves tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. “It would have taken the aircraft out.”
Graves says his committee might look into the issue.
“It is getting out of hand and we are taking a very close look at it and penalties for people,” Graves says. “It’s very hard to find out where the signal is coming from, but we’re taking a good look at it to see if we want to try to put something together on the House side.”
Some members of Congress worry drones could be used by terrorist organizations against high-profile activities, such as college and NFL football games. During the Senate Judiciary Committee, members heard testimony raising the possibility of the country’s enemies using drones against strategic targets. Also, those speaking at the hearing stated drug cartels have been using drones to conceal their activity from authorities.
Graves says he saw the potential threat during a trip abroad.
“For instance, when the United States does tank exercises in Lativa, which we do. In fact, I attended one of those here just a few years ago right on the Russian border,” Graves says. “The Russians sent over a swarm of drones and they literally looked like geese in the sky there were so many of them swarming over the top of our tank exercises.”
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