Admin
The Federal Aviation Administration solicited public input to choose six test sites for unmanned aircraft systems until May 8.
The FAA is mandated to establish the test sites in order to integrate unmanned aircraft into the national airspace by 2015 under the National Defense Authorization Act and the 2012 FAA re-authorization bill.
Nextgov, which previously reported on early comments from industry and military officials, found respondents were concerned with FAA’s ability to protect UAS from hackers, among other challenges.
Officials indicated they are concerned that drones can be hijacked or jammed and that the FAA should ensure system security prior to widespread domestic use, Nextgov’s Bob Brewin reported.
Boeing told the agency in a filing that the test site management team should be a skilled force capable of making informed decisions in regard to drone software and ensure end-to-end cybersecurity, according to Brewin.
Airline officials indicated drones should be able to navigate without GPS systems in case the system is jammed or hacked.
Another respondent said drones should include identifying transponders and one solicitor indicated drones’ accident rates are more than 100 times that of passenger aircraft, Brewin reported.
