The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) used an agency-owned, small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) to test the threat of drones over San Francisco International Airport (SFO). 

This achievement was thanks to the efforts of TSA’s Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service (LE/FAMS) UAS Assessments Unit, which was established to oversee the agency’s role in protecting the U.S. Transportation Systems Sector from nefarious drone use.

“In our mission to protect the nation’s transportation systems, TSA faces a range of growing challenges associated with the threat posed by UAS,” said Acting Supervisory Air Marshal in Charge Ty Fletcher. “Incidents including the December 2018 airspace incursion at Gatwick Airport in the United Kingdom and the more recent disruption at San Juan International Airport in January 2024 highlight the severe disruptions UAS can have on aviation and flight operations.”

Assistant Supervisory Air Marshal in Charge Jason Goff said this was TSA’s first opportunity to launch its Skydio X10 drone to assess the UAS climate at SFO.

“sUAS supports UAS assessments by providing photographic evidence of line-of-sight and possible attack trajectories from altitude,” explained Goff. “Assessments like this allow us to demonstrate the capabilities of sUAS by conducting elevated (or aerial) observations of airport operations. They also help us verify viable locations for a possible attack.”

Fletcher said TSA partners with other federal, state, local, territorial and tribal agencies as well as the aviation industry on UAS response policies and procedures. 

“Given that a UAS incident can develop very quickly with little warning, the best course of action is to locate the operator and end the disruption,” Fletcher noted. “To do that, it is critical to preidentify likely UAS probable launch sites so airport stakeholders can notify law enforcement if no technical solutions are available.”

He said using unmanned aircraft systems also helps create outreach opportunities for LE/FAMS and determines how communities respond to reporting drone use. “During the SFO assessment, San Francisco Recreation and Parks employees informed us that UAS operations were not authorized in city parks,” added Fletcher. “These encounters affect the scoring of potential launch sites, as they demonstrate that people are aware of possible issues of drones operating near airports.”

Fletcher said operators of low-cost, highly accessible, off-the-shelf commercial drones may intentionally or unintentionally harm the transportation system, particularly airports.

“UAS also pose a potential threat to surface and other transportation systems,” shared Fletcher. “Surface transportation presents a particularly challenging environment to detect and mitigate UAS. The sprawling nature of railroad rights-of-way, highways, pipelines and the rail transport industry makes oversight challenging.”

Serge Potapov, executive director of the LE/FAMS Flight Programs Branch, said the Skydio X10s are U.S.-made and cyber-hardened sUAS authorized for use through the DHS Blue UAS Program, which the U.S. Department of Defense created to identify and approve drones for government use. 

“Launching our inaugural sUAS mission, we are taking an important step toward revolutionizing the tools available to protect the traveling public,” said Potapov. “These cutting-edge capabilities enable us to enhance situational awareness, respond more effectively to evolving threats and uphold TSA’s commitment to safety and security. 

“This mission marks just the beginning, as we aim to expand the use of this innovative technology across all of our field offices to further strengthen the Federal Air Marshal Service’s critical role in safeguarding our nation’s transportation systems.”