WASHINGTON D.C. — Today, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN), Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security Chairman Carlos Gimenez (R-FL), and Rep. Sheri Biggs (R-SC) sent a letter to Acting U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Kevin E. Lunday, requesting a full accounting of the service’s readiness, technology adoption, and interagency coordination to combat the growing threats posed by asymmetric warfare, particularly through the use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), or drones. As the Coast Guard increasingly operates in contested environments like the Persian Gulf and South China Sea in joint operations with the Department of Defense, the Committee is examining the service’s ability to preserve our maritime operational advantage amid growing drone threats from Iran and China. Read more in the Washington Free Beacon via Andrew Kerr.

The members request information on the specific counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) currently installed or accessible aboard U.S. Coast Guard cutters and facilities operating under Patrol Forces Southwest Asia; whether the Coast Guard has conducted a formal capability gap analysis or evaluation of vulnerability in the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of operations; what C-UAS training, rules of engagement, and operational authorities are currently issued to Coast Guard personnel in high-threat regions; the level of operational integration that currently exists between the Coast Guard, U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, and CENTCOM; and more. Read the full letter here. 

In the letter, the members write, “In the wake of Iran’s retaliatory missile attacks on U.S. installations in Qatar, following President Trump’s successful and justified strike on Iranian nuclear infrastructure, it has become clear that American forces deployed in the Middle East, including U.S. Coast Guard personnel, are operating within a rapidly escalating domain of aerial and asymmetric threats. As Congress continues to assess the force protection posture of our forward-deployed assets, we must ensure the Coast Guard is equipped with the tools, authorities, and capabilities necessary to defend against this new generation of threats, not only in the Middle East, but increasingly in the Indo- Pacific, where the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is aggressively fielding its own advanced drone capabilities.”

The members continue, “Recent reporting indicates that Iranian missile attacks against Al Udeid Air Base, where U.S. and coalition forces are stationed, were swiftly intercepted, followed by an unprecedented Qatari-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Yet the events of last week demonstrate how quickly the regional security environment can deteriorate, and how U.S. forces, including Coast Guard cutters deployed under Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA), may become targets of hostile state or proxy drone and missile operations. Iran and its partners have demonstrated the ability to deploy weaponized drones from land, sea, and air platforms with increasing sophistication, blurring the lines between conventional and irregular warfare.”

The members conclude, “These concerns are not confined to the Middle East. In the Indo-Pacific, the PRC has invested heavily in a vast network of surveillance and strike-capable drones, including those deployed aboard coast guard, maritime militia, and naval vessels. Chinese drones have been used to harass and intimidate foreign navies, intrude into the airspace of Taiwan and neighboring countries, and conduct persistent surveillance in the South and East China Seas. As tensions rise across the First Island Chain, Coast Guard forces operating in the region, whether aboard National Security Cutters, Fast Response Cutters, or in support of joint maritime operations, must be prepared to encounter unmanned threats similar to those now facing their counterparts in the Persian Gulf.”

Background: 

In 2024, following heightened concerns regarding suspicious drones in the homeland and near U.S. military bases abroad, the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence and Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security held a joint hearing to examine the full scope of the homeland security threats posed by drones to U.S. critical infrastructure and other sensitive sites. 

Last Congress, Chairman Green introduced the “Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act of 2024.” The legislation would renew and reform current legal authorities that provide the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) with critical tools to mitigate credible UAS threats.

In March of this year, the Committee  held a hearing to examine how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) undermines U.S. sovereignty, particularly through its use of espionage, pre-positioning in critical infrastructure, and supply-chain dominance. In his opening statement, Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement Chairman Michael Guest (R-MS) detailed the threat posed by malicious drone use in the homeland and against sensitive military sites, saying, “Just this past December, a Chinese citizen was arrested for flying a drone over Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. He was apprehended at the airport, trying to board a flight back to China.”  

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