Secret Service to conduct drone exercises over Washington

Josh Lederman(The Philippine Star)

February 25, 2015 - 9:32am

This handout photo provided by the US Secret Service shows the drone that crashed onto the White House grounds in Washington, Monday, Jan. 26, 2015. A small drone flying low to the ground crashed onto the White House grounds before dawn Monday, triggering a major emergency response and raising fresh questions about security at the presidential mansion. A man later came forward to say he was responsible and didn't mean to fly it over the complex. The man contacted the Secret Service after reports of the crash spread in the media, a U.S. official said. The man told the agency that he had been flying the drone recreationally. The man is a Washington resident and is cooperating with investigators. AP/US Secret Service

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Secret Service says it will fly drones over the Washington area in the near future.

The agency isn't disclosing exactly where the exercises will take place other than that they'll involve areas where flights are typically restricted. Airspace above the White House, the U.S. Capitol and other sensitive sites in Washington is heavily restricted.

The Secret Service says the exercises have been carefully planned and coordinated with other government agencies, and will be "tightly controlled."

The reason for the exercises isn't clear. But they come amid heightened scrutiny about the security risks posed by drones. Last month, a government employee who was flying a drone recreationally crashed it into the White House grounds accidentally.

The Obama administration recently proposed long-awaited rules for flying commercial drones in U.S. skies.

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