Federal Advisory on Drones Important, Hogan Lovells Says

A joint advisory from DOJ, the FAA, the Department of Homeland Security and the FCC on federal laws and regulations on drones (see 2008170056) didn’t break new ground but is "significant," lawyers at Hogan Lovells blogged Friday. “There is a great deal of confusion surrounding how federal laws will apply to this new and growing industry and the advisory confirms the federal government's view on the applicability of federal laws and regulations to [unmanned aircraft systems] detection and mitigation technology,” they said: “The advisory highlights the importance of understanding the legal and regulatory framework for UAS detection and mitigation systems.” The FAA said Friday it plans to evaluate at least 10 technologies and systems that could “detect and mitigate potential safety risks posed by unmanned aircraft.” Evaluations are planned to begin later this year, and will initially occur at the FAA’s William J. Hughes Technical Center adjacent to the Atlantic City International Airport in New Jersey.