The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is set to conduct drone-detection testing near Santa Teresa, New Mexico, from June 16 to June 27. The testing will be coordinated by the FAA's Center of Excellence for UAS Research (ASSURE), alongside U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Doña Ana County International Jetport. State and local first responders are also expected to participate.
This marks the third in a series of off-airport tests planned by the FAA. Previous tests were conducted in Alaska and near Cape May, New Jersey. The location in New Mexico was chosen for its hot and arid climate, which aligns with the testing objectives. Additional tests are scheduled later this year in North Dakota and Mississippi.
During the two-week period, several large drones and approximately 100 commercial off-the-shelf drones will be operated by the FAA. Testing will occur over the desert and near the old Rio Grande Speedway during weekdays only. The public is advised not to fly recreational drones near this area during this time.
The agency has been exploring drone-detection technologies at airports over recent years and is now expanding these efforts to off-airport locations. These tests aim to evaluate the effectiveness of such technologies while ensuring they do not interfere with FAA or aircraft navigation systems.
The FAA plans to release b-roll footage from the testing week starting June 23.
According to additional background information provided by the FAA, "the FAA receives more than 100 drone-sighting reports near airports each month," emphasizing that operating drones around airplanes, helicopters, and airports is both dangerous and illegal.
On March 16, 2023, the FAA established the UAS Detection and Mitigation Systems Aviation Rulemaking Committee to advise on safely integrating drone detection systems. This committee made 46 recommendations focused on ensuring these systems do not disrupt safe operations within the National Airspace System. Many of these recommendations have been incorporated into ongoing work for safe integration.
