Secret Service To Conduct Drone Tests In Washington

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The Secret Service announced it will conduct “exercises” using unmanned aerial vehicles around Washington, D.C., in the coming weeks. While the agency didn’t disclose further details, including what kinds of drones are involved or the nature of the activities, it’s fair to surmise they will include some kind of security-related testing. A Washington Post blog said the Secret Service declined to disclose details beyond its three-sentence announcement. “Because these exercises will be conducted within the normally flight restricted areas in the Washington D.C. area, they have been carefully planned and will be tightly controlled. In preparation for these exercises the Secret Service has coordinated with all appropriate federal, state and local agencies,” it said.

The brief announcement was likely made to advise the public that test drones could be spotted flying around Washington’s tightly restricted airspace. Drone operators flying their devices around Washington and its landmarks have been nabbed by law enforcement, as have those flying drones over sports venues and other restricted areas around the country. The Post reported in January that the personal drone that had crashed on the White House lawn exposed a security weakness the Secret Service has studied for years but has not figured out how to fix.

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