Summary: C-UAS Executive Order on Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty boosts focus on drone threats and Remote ID access, but brings limited legal or policy change.
The Executive Order (EO) on Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty signals growing federal attention to drone activity near critical infrastructure and other sensitive locations. It outlines steps like interagency coordination and expanding Remote ID access, but stops short of changing the legal and regulatory landscape for most organizations.
Despite these limitations, drone detection isn’t on hold. Legal, privacy-conscious technologies—such as passive spectrum sensing and Remote ID-based tools—are already in use by public and private organizations across the U.S.
This article explores what the Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty EO means for drone detection efforts today, the ongoing challenges around privacy and policy, and what security teams can do right now to improve airspace awareness.
In late 2015, I launched my company, Drone Go Home, with a clear mission: stop drones from flying where they shouldn’t. My cybersecurity background told me drone detection and even mitigation were technically possible. These were flying computers, after all — and computers can be ethically hacked. So, my team and I built a proof of concept. It worked.
By late 2016, I found myself knee-deep in the regulatory thicket. I hired a top law firm in Washington, D.C., to help navigate the complex legal environment surrounding drone detection and counter-drone tech. We had meetings with DHS legal teams and counsel from a major telecom company.
Then came the shock: my attorney fired me.
Why? Because even though we had the technology, the legal path to deploy it would take years — and millions of dollars. She said bluntly, “You don’t have enough money to be first.” Then, in an act of generous support, she refunded her entire retainer. That moment revealed just how inaccessible and broken the regulatory system really was…and still is.
The new EO on Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty acknowledges rising concerns around drone activity and outlines steps like forming a task force to explore solutions. However, without legal reform, areas such as drone mitigation remain highly restricted—leaving detection as the most viable and immediately actionable path forward.
The EO continues on to push for processes that were actually obligations of past Acts, such as the ability for certain entities to apply for designation to prohibit drone flights over their fixed site facilities, limited to:
• Critical infrastructure, such as energy production, transmission, distribution facilities and equipment, and railroad facilities.
• Oil refineries and chemical facilities.
•Amusement parks.
• State prisons.
The EO mentions potential grant funding for public safety drone detection — but lacks clarity on where that funding would come from. Meanwhile, some RF-based drone detection methods may raise Fourth Amendment concerns, depending on how they capture and process signals. However, solutions that rely on passive spectrum sensing—without intercepting content—can operate within legal bounds and are already in use today.
The EO calls for a revision of the August 2020 “Advisory on the Application of Federal Laws to the Acquisition and Use of Technology to Detect and Mitigate Unmanned Aircraft Systems,” which requires many RF detection system users to apply for legal waivers for use.
And even if the laws evolve? Most advanced systems are still too expensive for everyday agencies. This is one of the most pressing challenges facing drone detection technology today.
One of the more promising parts of the EO is a push for the FAA to expand law enforcement access to Remote ID data—transforming drone license plates into actionable intelligence at scale.
But without existing detection infrastructure, access to data is meaningless.
Remote ID gives us a scalable, low-cost entry point. For many, it may be all they need. For others, it’s the first layer in a deeper, layered detection strategy.
The EO ends with a call to stand up a National Counter-UAS Training Center, aimed at preparing agencies for high-risk events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics. That’s smart planning — but again, overdue.
Ten years in, drone detection remains a space where innovation outpaces legislation. And that mismatch puts critical infrastructure, public safety, and national security at risk.
While legal authority, privacy policies, and funding continue to evolve, organizations can still implement compliant drone detection solutions today to enhance their airspace awareness and reduce risks.