Authorities say they have detected 1,139 drones operating near World Cup stadiums and tournament-related sites across the United States, with more than 300 of those aircraft already mitigated without the use of force. Meanwhile, the FBI says it has seized more than 500 drones as part of ongoing investigations into unauthorized flights near tournament venues.
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Welcome to The Buzz, a weekly roundup of news about consumer, enterprise, and defense uses for drones. For now, it’s in a written format, but soon there will be a return to our weekly podcast format. This week was a big week for controversies; between the investigation of the LA fire’s drone crash, Red Cat’s potential fraud, and DJI dropping No-Fly Zones, there was a lot.
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In the quiet skies of New Jersey, an enigma has emerged — clusters of large, seemingly SUV-sized drones have been sighted hovering ominously over critical infrastructure and residential areas. From power lines to reservoirs, these unidentified flying objects have sparked public concern and prompted an active FBI investigation.
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Reminder to anyone tempted to capture a few aerial shots of rescue efforts around Baltimore’s collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge: Don’t even think about it. The no-flight ban on UAVs announced in the hours after the tragedy is still firmly in place.
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French officials have echoed concerns expressed last week by the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) about the emerging threat of drones in attacks by terrorists or other malevolent forces against major events like the US Super Bowl, World Series, or the World Cup of soccer whose current edition opened Sunday in Qatar.
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The director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has joined a chorus of voices urging Congress to take steps to maintain or expand the counter-drone capacities of US security authorities, backing up his urging with revelations of the agency’s ongoing investigations into UAVs being equipped to transport homemade bombs.
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Additional information has surfaced about the mysterious drone that officials in Tucson described as “highly modified” after it buzzed, then led a border patrol helicopter on a high-speed, hour-long chase before vanishing. A case summary of the incident details airborne police efforts to pursue and unsuccessfully identify the astonishingly powerful craft described as “very sophisticated/specialized and able to perform like no other.”
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Thinking about using a drone to film future champions during this month’s 2021 Summer Olympics track and field trials? Bzzzzzzz! (That’s a buzzer.) Authorities strongly urge you think again.
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Last month we told you about a seriously amped-up drone that performed amazing feats while eluding – and ultimately escaping – pursuing law enforcement helicopters over Tucson, Arizona. New information is now in about the mysterious flight, though both the craft and pilot remains a mystery.
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The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is actively hunting the pilot of a drone that buzzed a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) helicopter in Tucson, Arizona. Once it did, the night-flying, clearly steroid-amped craft racked up a laundry list of other infractions before it suddenly, maddeningly vanished.
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Ahead of Super Bowl LIV, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is done warning and confiscates drones from operators who violate the temporary flight restrictions (TFR) around the Super Bowl venues in Miami.
During the Senate Committee on Homeland Security, late September, the FBI director, Christopher Wray warned that terrorist drone attacks are coming to the U.S. “imminently”, in response to a question by Senator John Verhoeven from North Dakota.
“Terrorist organizations have an interest in using drones. We have seen that overseas already, with some growing frequency and I think the expectation is, it is coming here imminently,” Wray said, “I think they are relatively easy to acquire, relatively easy to operate and quite difficult to disrupt and monitor.”