Opinion

JASON CHAFFETZ: America needs a drone defense plan before disaster strikes

Let’s not wait until there’s an event with casualties before we address this critical security threat

By Jason Chaffetz Fox News

Published May 13, 2026 9:00am EDT

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In the USA there are roughly 220,000 commercial aircraft.  By 2027, the FAA estimates there will be more than 2.7 million drones.

As firefighting aircraft raced to drop retardant on a raging wildfire in Utah’s Provo Canyon last summer, some flights were grounded by a new threat. Private drones, presumably trying to capture dramatic footage of the fire, forced critical support to stand down while flames advanced. This incident was no anomaly. There were hundreds of drone sightings over wildfires in 2025.

Such civilian disruptions are only the beginning. Drone warfare and prevalence has come to American soil. Cheap, loosely regulated drones have the capability to disrupt military bases,........

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