Ajairapara via Wikimedia Commons

While drones are transforming warfare worldwide, and becoming ubiquitous in the United States, last year reportedly saw the first drone used in the United States to ‘specifically target energy infrastructure.’ This according to an October 28 a memo from the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and the National Counterterrorism Center.

In that July 2020 incident, notes the FBI, a drone crashed near a Pennsylvania power substation was likely meant to damage or disrupt the electric equipment.

It is still unclear who operated the modified drone that crashed on a rooftop near the unidentified substation. No damage was done to the electricity supply or equipment, according to the memo.

Due to incidents like this, federal law enforcement officials want critical infrastructure facilities to continue to factor drones into their security plans. They are distributing the intelligence bulletin now to state and local officials to raise awareness about the incident and the general threat of drones to critical infrastructure.

ABC News was first to report on the intelligence bulletin.

However, CNN reported that:

Whoever modified the drone likely tried to create a “short circuit to cause damage to transformers or distribution lines, based on the design and recovery location,” the intelligence memo says. The drone “appeared to be heavily worn, indicating it was flown previously and was modified for this single flight.”

It added:

“All of the attention being paid to cybersecurity right now is important, but we have to remember that physical threats to the grid like this are quite real,” said Marty Edwards, a former senior DHS official who is now vice president of operational technology at security firm Tenable.

The FBI intelligence bulletin noted: “[W]e expect illicit [unmanned aircraft system] activity to increase over energy sector and other critical infrastructure facilities as use of these systems in the United States continues to expand.”

Industry clearly needs to ramp up their counter-drone technology and programs to ensure America’s critical infrastructure remains safe.

The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of AmericanActionNews.com




Comments

  1. LISTEN UP….ALL AMERICANS Need to Be ALERT for Their OWN SAFETY. The UNITED STATES has TURNED into the DIVIDED STATES. JESUS Foretold MANY EVENTS. NOT Only Can HE SEE into the FUTURE…READ MINDS…Be at MORE than ONE PLACE at the SAME TIME…the LIST is ENDLESS. From SamuraiQueen. 😄😄😄

  2. Joe Biden plan to destroy the grid with China. He’s starving you to death and now you will have no power for anything. If one of you stupid sheep defend joe Biden your going down too. People giving one way tickets out of America. And you can never come back. You had your chance not to be unamerican and stupid but you fail. Get out now. CEOS, Congress traitors, sheep and anyone else who hates America. Take Obama, Soros, Pelosi, Biden and Harris with you. Your useless to America. Please take your lazy parents with you. Because they are dumber than you.

    1. Drones have feelings too… they also have preferred pronouns … like D and you should address them as equals …. isn’t that the new koolaid?

  3. Jerk: He looks like a jerk, talks like a jerk, walks (up steps) like a jerk, acts like a jerk, “comes onto women” like a jerk, lies like a jerk, thinks he is something special like a jerk, mumbles like a jerk, is incoherent like a jerk and wets his pants like a jerk.

  4. I say the FBI is behind this and they wanted that drone to fail.. on purpose…They want to have drones focused and I bet they have other means of attack oif they need them… this is what the “new” fBI does… shame huh, bought and paid for FBI

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