The commander of the Strategic Command voiced concerns this week that terrorists could use drone aircraft to attack U.S. nuclear facilities.
Air Force Gen. John E. Hyten, Stratcom chief, told a Senate hearing that he recently issued new policy guidance on how security personnel at nuclear bases should respond to unauthorized intrusions by remotely piloted drones. Gen. Hyten said recent incidents of unauthorized intrusions by drones at Navy and Air Force facilities were “incidental” overflights and not deliberate surveillance or other nefarious activity.
“But the fact that they’re occurring, and then if you watch what is happening overseas in the [Central Command area of responsibility] with the use of lethal [unmanned aerial vehicles], and the use of UAVs for surveillance on the part of a terrorist adversary, I’m very concerned that those same kinds of UAVs could be employed against our weapon storage facilities, especially the nuclear weapon storage facilities,” the general said.
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