WASHINGTON (KOLO) – Nevada Representatives Susie Lee and Mark Amodei have helped introduce bills that would provide greater protections to nuclear facilities against drones.
They, Seth Moulton (MA) and Chuck Fleischmann (TN) introduced the Nuclear Ecosystem Drone Defense Act in the House.
Lee says that, currently, the Department of Energy lacks the authority to protect the full range facilities from drones. She says recent drone sightings have highlighted the need for the department to have expanded capabilities to protect the country’s nuclear assets.
The bill would:
Allow DOE to develop systems to defend a broad range of nuclear-related assets and facilities against UAS threats.Expand the definition of covered assets to include facilities that house nuclear weapons components and vehicles owned or contracted by the United States to transport nuclear weapons or components.Give the DOE authorities to acquire UAS technology similar to that of our adversaries to test counter-UAS systems.
“Unauthorized drones pose a serious threat to America’s nuclear resources related to national security, including at the Nevada National Security Site where we maintain America’s nuclear weapons ecosystem,” said Congresswoman Susie Lee, a member of the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Defense. “Our bipartisan NEDD Act bill will give the Department of Energy the tools it needs to defend all its nuclear and national security assets from unauthorized enemy drones.”
“In recent years, there has been a growing threat from both foreign and domestic unmanned aerial systems (UAS) targeting our nation’s nuclear sites, including six reported incidents at the Nevada National Security Site,” said Rep. Mark Amodei. “At present, the Department of Energy lacks the authority to intercept these drones and investigate their origins and intentions, allowing them to freely gather sensitive data for malign purposes. This bill empowers us to counter these threats in real-time and ensure they are not equipped to undermine our national security.”
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