As China experts warn that America's top adversary could be laying the groundwork for a drone attack on U.S. soil, the House Homeland Security Committee is drafting legislation that would compel the federal government to assess and prepare for the threat, the Washington Free Beacon has learned.
Both Israel and Ukraine showcased the power of militarized drones with surprise strikes in June that weakened the Iranian and Russian militaries from within their own borders. Those attacks served as a wake-up call for the committee, which is now drafting legislation that would require the Department of Homeland Security to produce a wide-ranging annual threat assessment examining the capabilities of foreign adversaries and terrorist networks to use drones to conduct surveillance, carry out kinetic strikes, or deploy chemical weapons within the United States, a committee aide told the Free Beacon. The committee’s legislation would also require DHS to close any gaps in the federal bureaucracy that could hamper response readiness.
Congress is renewing its focus on potential threats from drones as America’s adversaries increasingly utilize unmanned aircraft in conflict zones across the world. China has invested heavily in expanding its fleet of militarized drones and hasn’t shied away from flexing that muscle in Taiwanese airspace, where unmanned Chinese surveillance aircraft are often spotted. And in January 2024, an Iranian-aligned militia carried out a deadly drone attack against a U.S. outpost in Jordan, killing 3 American servicemembers and wounding more than 40 others.
"Drones are no longer just tools of surveillance—they have become weapons of disruption, sabotage, and intimidation," said Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R., Fla.), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security. "As our greatest adversaries, Russia, Iran, and Communist China, work to undermine American interests—we must act now. One drone in the wrong hands can threaten lives and cripple critical infrastructure such as air and seaports."
Gimenez will lead a public hearing on July 8 with national security experts to discuss the drone threat landscape to the homeland. That includes drones manufactured by DJI, a sanctioned "Chinese Military Company," which dominate American airspace and have long raised concerns in the U.S. intelligence community that the technology surreptitiously collects and transmits sensitive surveillance data back to the Chinese Communist Party.
Indeed, the Department of Defense documented more than 600 unauthorized drone flights above U.S. military facilities between 2022 and 2024. And in May, a Chinese national was sentenced to four months in federal custody for piloting a drone over a Space Force base in California during a military satellite launch.
The committee has also set its sights on the Coast Guard, with some of its Republican members expressing concern that the force isn’t equipped to meet the growing threat of drone warfare.
On Tuesday, committee chairman Rep. Mark Green (R., Tenn.) demanded a classified briefing from the Coast Guard by July 18 to review the force’s ability to combat drone threats both at home and overseas, the Free Beacon has learned. Of particular concern to Green is the Coast Guard’s fleet of cutters deployed to the Middle East, which could become "targets of hostile state or proxy drone" operations following the Iranian strikes against a U.S. base in Qatar last week, the Tennessee Republican warned in a letter Tuesday to Coast Guard acting commandant Admiral Kevin Lunday.
Gimenez issued a blunt assessment of his confidence in the Coast Guard’s ability to combat asymmetric threats from Iran and China.
"I’m deeply concerned that the U.S. Coast Guard lacks the tools, training, and authority necessary to counter the growing threat of drone warfare," Gimenez told the Free Beacon. "The Coast Guard must be fully equipped to secure our maritime borders and protect global commerce. We cannot afford to fall behind as adversaries like Iran and Communist China continue to develop advanced technologies designed to directly undermine our national security."
America’s reliance on Chinese drone tech has alarmed many national security experts, who say the technology could be used to carry out attacks within the United States from the Chinese-owned farmland adjacent to at least 19 military bases across the country, the Free Beacon reported.
"Letting firms or individuals with CCP ties buy property next to U.S. bases hands Beijing the hardest part of that playbook—the forward staging area—no smuggling required," said Craig Singleton, a senior China fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. "A prudent policy starts with the assumption that a determined, tech-savvy adversary will exploit every acre it controls."
Gimenez said Congress doesn’t intend to leave anything to chance.
"This committee will continue taking proactive steps as drone technology evolves to protect our airspace and ensure the safety of our communities," Gimenez said.