WASHINGTON — A surge in drone activity near U.S. military installations has reignited concerns about the lack of a coordinated, government-wide response to unauthorized aerial incursions that could threaten national security.
“We’re more than a year past the Langley drone incidents and nearly two years since the Chinese spy balloon, yet we still lack a centralized authority to coordinate efforts across government agencies to address these issues,” said Gen. Glen VanHerck, the former head of U.S. Northern Command and NORAD, in an interview with CNN. “Instead, it’s a blame game, with everyone pointing fingers and denying responsibility.”
The issue gained attention after a series of mysterious drone swarms around Joint Base Langley-Eustis and other military sites in Virginia last year, followed by a high-profile Chinese surveillance balloon incident in 2023. This month, drones breached the airspace of multiple bases, including six incursions over Camp Pendleton, California, within six days. A Marine Corps spokesperson said the drones posed “no threat” to operations but acknowledged the incidents.
Other recent drone sightings have been reported at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey, Naval Weapons Station Earle in New Jersey, and Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Authorities arrested a Chinese national, who is a lawful U.S. permanent resident, in connection with the California incidents.
Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Rob Spalding, who previously served as the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s chief China strategist, called the situation a long-standing issue.
“This problem has been brewing for over a decade, and we’ve failed to take meaningful action,” Spalding said.
While the intent behind these drone incursions remains unclear, experts say possibilities range from intelligence gathering and testing base defenses to innocuous hobbyist activity. The lack of a unified strategy to counter these incidents continues to raise alarms within the defense community.