Drones

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? Breakout year for delivery drones

Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios

After more than a decade of development, delivery drones are finally going mainstream, Axios transportation correspondent Joann Muller writes. Why it matters: More electric drones in the sky means fewer noisy trucks on the road and less tailpipe emission. What's happening: With some (but not all) regulatory hurdles cleared, retailers, medical centers and logistics platforms will start offering drone delivery in many more suburban neighborhoods in '24. That means receiving meals, prescriptions and household items at your doorstep in less than 30 minutes. ? Catch up quick: Until recently, commercial drone operators weren't permitted to fly their aircraft long distances without visual spotters. Having observers staged every mile or so along a drone's route is impractical and costly, which is why companies couldn't afford to scale up drone deliveries. Instead, they were limited to trips within a mile or so of retail partners, including Walmart and Walgreens. That changed last fall when the FAA began authorizing some drone operators to fly their aircraft "beyond the visual line of sight" (BVLOS). That key breakthrough has opened the door for companies like Zipline, Wing and Amazon to begin more widespread drone deliveries this year. Amazon — where executive chairman Jeff Bezos first floated the idea of drone delivery back in 2013 — is ramping up toward a goal of 500 million drone deliveries a year by the end of the decade. Amazon has been operating in just two communities (Lockeford, Calif., and College Station, Texas) using dedicated drone fulfillment hubs. In 2024, Amazon will add a third U.S. site, plus two more in Europe, before accelerating its push in subsequent years. It's also introducing a smaller, quieter delivery drone, which will be fully integrated into Amazon's delivery network this year. That means Amazon trucks, vans and drones will depart from the same building, giving customers access to faster delivery of a greater selection. Wing, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has completed over 350,000 deliveries so far, the vast majority in Australia. In the U.S., it's making deliveries for Walmart within a 6-mile range of two superstores in the Dallas area and for certain retailers in Christiansburg, Va. Other companies, including Walmart-backed DroneUp and Israel's Flytrex, are also planning to expand this year without the limitation of human observers.

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Drone-flown beach ads

Rendering: Sustainable Skylines Drones towing aerial advertisements will soon begin flying over Miami's beaches — competing for airspace with traditional banner planes, Axios' Martin Vassolo writes. Why it matters: Miami-based Sustainable Skylines says its hybrid-electric drones are quieter, safer and more eco-friendly than gas-powered planes. The drones will fly lower to bring ads closer to the public. But CEO Jacob Stonecipher says the ads shouldn't bother beachgoers. The company, which hopes to launch its service in July, is the first drone-based banner hauler to be approved by the FAA, Stonecipher tells Axios. Keep reading ...

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D.C. police drones

By Cuneyt Dil and Isaac Avilucea

Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios

D.C. is deploying police drones for the first time to assist officers on the ground. Why it matters: Many cities use drones for searches and to watch large crowds, but the technology has also sparked concerns over privacy. Driving the news: The Metropolitan Police Department's drone program was unveiled yesterday with five automated devices, capable of 30 minutes of flight before needing a recharge. The drones aim to help with searches for missing persons, responses to major traffic crashes, crowd management, and tactical circumstances such as a police barricade situation. How it works: A drone is authorized to help locate a suspect if three criteria are met, including the person must be believed to be armed and the circumstances put officers at risk of death or serious injury. Other examples of use include serving high-risk warrants and during disposal operations for explosive materials. "The use of facial recognition and weapon capabilities are prohibited," the department says. Drones also can't be deployed to record a particular person or group based on their identity. Zoom out: About 1,200 police departments across the U.S. use drones in some capacity, including in Beverly Hills, California, and Washington state, according to Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital privacy advocacy group. Yes, but: Drones can be controversial. A 2021 court ruling found a Baltimore aerial surveillance system deployed to try to reduce homicides was an unconstitutional intrusion of privacy as it tracked residents' movements throughout the day.

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Mysterious drones

Weeks of mysterious drone sightings across New Jersey are prompting heightened security concerns — and mounting frustrations — from residents, military personnel and federal, state and local officials. Law enforcement has not identified the origin or landing sites of the drones but emphasized there is no threat to public safety. Mayor Michael Melham of Belleville Township said the drones primarily operate at night, often displaying flashing lights, but they turn off the lights and evade police helicopters when approached. Some members of Congress have speculated that a foreign entity may be involved in the drones, something the Pentagon quickly rebuffed Wednesday.

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What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?

TOMS River, N.J. (AP) — A large number of mysterious drones have been reported flying over parts of New Jersey in recent weeks, sparking speculation and concern over who sent them and why.

https://apnews.com/article/fbi-drones-new-jersey-0f4aba00748ac464d42270fbe7457733?

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White House shoots down drone theories

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Those mysterious drones reportedly flying over New Jersey and surrounding states are probably just planes, the White House says. "Using very sophisticated electronic detection technologies provided by federal authorities, we have not been able to ... corroborate any of the reported visual sightings," national security spokesman John Kirby said in the briefing room yesterday. "To the contrary, upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully." ? Catch up quick: Reports of suspicious drone sightings began last month in central New Jersey, then spread to New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Maryland. Elected officials in those states have launched investigations and demanded federal probes. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) wrote to President Biden to express "growing concern about reports of unmanned aircraft systems" and request more federal resources. (Read the letter.) Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who sits on the Senate's Homeland Security committee, said the drones should be shot down "if necessary." ✈️ It's not necessary, the White House says. "We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat or have a foreign nexus," Kirby said. Get the latest.

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Points of light in the sky near Lebanon Township, N.J., on Thursday evening. (Trisha Bushey via AP)

Mystery drone sightings keep happening in New Jersey. Here’s what we know (and don’t know)

A large number of mysterious drones have been reported flying over parts of New Jersey and the East Coast in recent weeks, sparking speculation and concern over who sent them and why. Read more.

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Drone sightings

Lawmakers from across the political spectrum have criticized the federal government's response to mysterious drone sightings in the Northeast US. Federal officials emphasize there is no evidence of a security threat and have so far downplayed many of the reported sightings, saying they are likely small airplanes or other manned aircraft. The drones have been seen across at least six states — with Ohio potentially becoming the seventh following reports of unexplained drone activity over a critical Air Force base. Civilians and some politicians are even calling on authorities to shoot down the unidentified aircraft, but shooting drones is dangerous and illegal — and may bring unintended consequences like "severe property damage and injury," according to federal officials and experts.

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? Feds insist drones are benign

Lights appear in the sky over Lebanon Township, N.J., earlier this month. Photo: Trisha Bushey via AP Four federal agencies — the Pentagon, FBI, DHS and FAA — doubled down last night on declaring that there are no credible threats from drones flying over civilian airspace, saying in a statement: "We assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones." The agencies added that while "there have been a limited number of visual sightings of drones over military facilities in New Jersey and elsewhere ... such sightings are not new." ? The big picture: Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told Axios' Ina Fried (whose birthday is today) that thousands of registered drones fly each day in the U.S. "They might be more visible now, I'm not exactly sure," he said, adding that people are also mistaking small aircraft for drones and that the online chatter is intensifying the situation. "I am concerned it is feeding on itself," he said, but also added he understands that "people are nervous." Full statement ... Keep reading.

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Drone sightings

Recent drone sightings over military bases across the country have renewed concerns that the US doesn’t have clear government-wide policy for how to deal with unauthorized incursions that could potentially pose a national security threat. Over a period of six days earlier this month, there were six instances of unmanned aerial systems, or drones, entering the airspace of the Marine Corps base Camp Pendleton in California, a spokesperson confirmed to CNN, adding that they posed “no threat to installation operations and no impact to air and ground operations.” There were also incidents in the last month at other bases in Ohio, New Jersey and California. The drone incidents are “a problem that has been brewing for over a decade and we have basically failed to address it,” said retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Rob Spalding, who previously served as the chief China strategist for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

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Drones

Do you remember those mysterious drone sightings in New Jersey late last year, the ones that caused panic, conspiracy theories and demands for government action? Well, the FAA has just announced that it plans to spend two weeks testing systems to detect drones. The testing is slated to take place over Cape May, New Jersey, and will involve launching about 100 drones of various sizes. But don't worry! “The FAA is doing this to ensure we can properly detect drones in our airspace and make sure they don’t interfere with airplane navigation systems,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. The agency plans to conduct additional testing in New Mexico, North Dakota and Mississippi later this year.

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? Drones everywhere

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Small, low-flying drones could soon be swarming the skies throughout the U.S., Axios' Joann Muller reports. President Trump signed three executive orders last week eliminating restrictions that have held back commercial drones. The White House said the moves will position the U.S. to take the lead on the next wave of aviation technology. ? Why it matters: Using a 4,000-pound car to deliver a 2-pound burrito is incredibly inefficient. Shifting small-package deliveries to the sky could help ease road congestion and cut tailpipe emissions. Drones could also be used more widely for tasks such as infrastructure inspections, agriculture operations, public safety and filmmaking. Go deeper ...

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The drone zapper

Photo illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photos: Getty Images

CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. — A swarm of 49 quadcopter drones converged over an Indiana National Guard base. Suddenly, all 49 — like a flock of stricken birds — crashed into a grassy field as Leonidas, a counter-drone system the Army is pouring money into, overwhelmed their circuits with electromagnetic waves. The only sound during the downing of the drones: their mechanical death throes, no louder than a bug zapper, as they futilely tried to get their bearings amid Leonidas' microwave onslaught. Mike and Colin Demarest, author of Axios Future of Defense, were the only reporters to witness the field demo, hosted Tuesday by Leonidas' creator — Epirus, a hot defense startup based in Torrance, Calif. Why it matters: Drone swarms are a nightmare for security officials all over the world, whether the autonomous craft are attacking a Russian air base or hovering menacingly near a U.S. airport. Epirus, building for a "new era of conflict," is pioneering mobile defenses against this wily, remote-controlled enemy. ⚡ Epirus was demonstrating its drone-frying Leonidas for officials and potential buyers from U.S. military services and foreign countries. Spectators applauded when Leonidas went 49-0. Epirus' Leonidas system during Balikatan military exercises in the Philippines earlier this year. Photo: Brandon Rickert/U.S. Army ? The big picture: Drones are upending military spending and power dynamics, and disrupting domestic security for everything from power plants and transportation hubs to NFL stadiums and next year's World Cup. Drones are challenging tanks and battleships as the apex predators in the future of war. Domestically, the Northeast's drone madness late last year underscores how ill-prepared the U.S. is for a real overhead incursion. ? Zoom in: Founded in 2018, Epirus has worked with the U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps, and tested its weapons in the Middle East and the Philippines. Epirus CEO Andy Lowery, a retired U.S. Navy lieutenant commander, champions a "sixth domain" doctrine, arguing that drones — "autonomous, robotic, asymmetric swarms that overwhelm traditional defenses" — scramble the traditional dividing lines of war. The five existing domains are air, land, sea, space and cyber.

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Drones blasting AC/DC and Scarlett Johansson are helping biologists protect cattle from wolves

For millennia humans have tried to scare wolves away from their livestock. Most of them didn’t have drones. But a team of biologists working near the California-Oregon border do, and they’re using them to blast AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck,” movie clips and live human voices at the apex predators to shoo them away from cattle in an ongoing experiment. Read more.

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? Life from above

Photo courtesy of Duke Health Drones are carrying defibrillators to North Carolina 911 callers in a Duke Health experiment, Axios Raleigh's Mary Helen Moore reports. ? The idea is to help more people survive cardiac arrest. ? Drones can make it to callers faster than traditional first responders, the researchers say. The study — launched in the Forsyth County village of Clemmons — is a U.S. first, per Duke. ⛑️ Yes, but: The experiment depends on bystanders "bravely using" the defibrillators upon delivery, research co-lead Monique Starks told reporters. ps:My first thought was "So who's gonna use them??" Go deeper.

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Drones change warfare's balance of power

Photo illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios. Photos: Bettmann and Interim Archives via Getty Images

Cheap, mass-produced drones have permanently changed the face of warfare, Axios' Zachary Basu and Colin Demarest report. Without them, Russia's overwhelming manpower and firepower advantage would grind Ukraine into dust. Without them, the Houthis are a ragtag militia in Yemen — not a force that brought global shipping to its knees. Without them, a sanctioned, isolated Iran couldn't inflict nearly as much damage to the most powerful military in world history. Why it matters: Size no longer guarantees victory. Any nation, any proxy, any rebel group with access to cash and commercial components can now bleed a superpower slowly, expensively and without a clean answer. Iran's Shahed drone — said to cost between $20,000 and $50,000 — has been the regime's great equalizer, forcing the U.S. and allies to respond in some cases with interceptor missiles costing millions of dollars each. In the first week of the war alone, Tehran fired nearly 2,000 drones at U.S. bases and allied targets across 12 countries — slamming into airports, five-star hotels and oil infrastructure across the Gulf. Six U.S. service members were killed March 1 when an Iranian drone evaded air defenses and struck an operations center in Kuwait. 🇺🇦 Zoom out: Ukraine, fighting for its life against Russian Shaheds for the past four years, is now the world's foremost authority on stopping them. As Axios first reported, Ukrainian officials offered Washington their anti-drone technology eight months before the Iran war started. The Trump administration turned them down. After the war started, the U.S. reversed course. Ukrainian specialists are now deployed to the Gulf to train U.S. and allied forces. The U.S. has rushed 10,000 Merops interceptor drones to the Middle East, according to Army Secretary Dan Driscoll. The AI-enabled systems, stress-tested in Ukraine, cost roughly $14,000 each — cheaper than the Shahed it's designed to kill. The Pentagon says Iranian drone attacks are now down 95% from their peak. The bottom line: "We're getting into phase zero of Terminator, where autonomous systems are starting to win against humans en masse," Oleg Rogynskyy, CEO of defense-tech company UForce, tells Axios.

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💥 Drone fever reaches Taiwan

Thunder Tiger's Shahed-lookalike in Taichung, Taiwan. Photo: Colin Demarest/Axios Colin Demarest, who writes our weekly Future of Defense newsletter, reports from Taichung, Taiwan: A Taiwanese company — eyeing conflict with China — is developing an attack drone that looks like Iran's deadly Shahed model. Why it matters: In the quest for cheap-but-deadly weapons, more countries are adopting this delta-wing design that's been proven in combat across the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Each of the drones — named Papa Delta — costs tens of thousands of dollars. The company, Thunder Tiger Corp., told us: "We know that Taiwan needs something like long-distance attack drones that can attack cities in China from Taiwan. It has to travel a long distance. … Drones are used for asymmetrical warfare. [We've learned] a lot of lessons from Ukraine." Keep reading.