FAA and DoD Explore How Drones, Counter-UAS Systems, and Airports Can Share Airspace
XPONENTIAL panel highlights growing cooperation between civil and military agencies on drone traffic management and airspace security
As drone operations expand around airports, military installations, and critical infrastructure, regulators and defense agencies face a growing challenge: how to safely integrate authorized drone traffic into increasingly complex airspace while still protecting sensitive locations.
That issue took center stage at a panel discussion during AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2026 in Detroit, where officials from the FAA, Department of War (DoW), and industry discussed efforts to coordinate unmanned traffic management (UTM), counter-UAS systems, and traditional air traffic operations.
The discussion revealed an important shift in how agencies are approaching drone security. Much of the challenge is no longer simply detecting unauthorized aircraft. It is determining how legitimate drone operations can coexist with military missions, airport operations, and civil aviation.
In many ways, the problem resembles managing vehicle traffic on sensitive sites. Delivery trucks, contractors, and civilian vehicles already operate alongside military traffic every day. The question now is how that same concept translates into the airspace.
How do agencies allow commercial delivery drones, inspection drones, military aircraft, and counter-UAS systems to operate in the same environment without creating safety or security conflicts?
From Manual Coordination to Automated Systems
John Sawyer of Modern Technology Solutions represented the Department of War. Sawyer explained that the DoW initially developed its own UTM capability to coordinate drone operations around military installations. That effort has evolved into a broader integration platform known as the Federal USS.
The system now incorporates both UTM and counter-UAS functions.
“We are working on transitioning from manual coordination to automated strategic deconfliction,” Sawyer said.
The goal is to replace fragmented coordination methods, including emails and manual approvals, with centralized operational intent sharing, active telemetry, and automated approvals where appropriate.
Sawyer described the CLUE system, or Collaborative Low-Altitude UAS Aircraft System Integration Effort, as a “system of systems” that combines:
- ATC tower operations
- base operators
- drone traffic management
- counter-UAS defense modules
The challenge is especially complicated because military installations face what Sawyer called a “double integration problem.” They must integrate drones with manned aircraft while also integrating military airspace with surrounding civil airspace.
FAA Focused on Safety of the NAS
While integrating air traffic around military bases is not the same problem as integration around civil airports, the FAA works closely the DoW and other federal security partners to leverage ongoing test events and share lessons learned.
FAA officials emphasized that the agency’s role remains centered on ensuring the safety of the National Airspace System (NAS), even as counter-UAS systems become more common. A key focus is understanding how detection and mitigation systems interact with legitimate aircraft operating nearby.
“We’ve done testing of detecting and mitigating… to get a sense of how those systems impact other systems in the NAS,” said Paul Strande of the FAA UAS Integration Office.
Interoperability Becomes Essential
Panelists repeatedly stressed that interoperability between systems will be critical as drone traffic grows.
Jessica Brightman of the FAA said she has been encouraged that military systems are using the same UTM standards already being developed for civil operations.
“Interoperability is really important,” Brightman said. “The machines can share data in similar ways.”
At the same time, military and civilian systems often have very different security requirements. Questions about data access, operational intent sharing, and information protection remain unresolved.
Still, speakers made clear that cooperation between agencies is accelerating. The broader goal is not simply building isolated drone corridors or defense systems. It is creating an operational framework where authorized drone operations can safely coexist with airports, military installations, and manned aviation.
That balancing act may become one of the defining infrastructure challenges of the next phase of drone integration.
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Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For drone industry consulting or writing, Email Miriam.
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