Central role Redstone Arsenal plays in national security highlighted in judiciary committee hearing

WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.) attended a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing titled ‘Securing the Skies: Law Enforcement, Drones, and Public Safety.’ Witnesses included Michael Torphy, Unit Chief and Supervisory Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) and Counter-UAS at Redstone Arsenal, and Steven Willoughby, Director of Counter-UAS Program Management at the Department of Homeland Security.

Senator Britt began by recognizing her recent visit to Redstone Arsenal where she hosted FBI Director Kash Patel. The Senator highlighted the central role FBI Redstone plays in combating the evolving threats of drones by “providing the technological infrastructure and training facilities necessary to develop and implement effective counter-UAS strategies.”

She asked Mr. Torphy, “How is the FBI keeping up with countering the technological advancements and increasing lethality of drones?”

Mr. Trophy responded, saying that “[FBI Redstone has] developed really strong relationships with the Department of Defense entities and contractor community down there … so it is just absolutely the perfect place for us to be doing this work.” He continued by saying, “It’s about having that proximity to the other important parties in this space and not just the Army, but with the other armed forces as well.”

Senator Britt acknowledged the value of these collaborations, and then asked, “As you’re looking at the increased number of threats, what additional authorities do you need to adequately address these concerns?”

Mr. Torphy responded, saying, “The most important one that would deliver the most bang for the buck would be opening up the detection capabilities to all state, local, tribal, territorial, law enforcement, correctional institutions as well … it’s very difficult to fight the enemy that you can’t see.”

The Senator then turned her attention to the threat of cartels. She emphasized the role drones have played in securing the border, and asked Mr. Torphy if there were any additional authorities state and local law enforcement might need to combat the threat at the border.

Mr. Torphy explained the partnership the FBI has formed with localities in Mexico to train them on the principles of effective counter-UAS. In return, the FBI receives valuable information about cartels in Mexico, which threaten the safety of American citizens.

Senator Britt directed her last question to all the witnesses by pointing to upcoming major events, such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympics, asking, “Do you have the resources and the technology available to you at your agency that you need, or do you need something greater, in order to be able to protect American citizens coast to coast?”

Mr. Willoughby emphasized the need to rely on state and local authorities since there aren’t enough federal resources to protect every major event like concerts and sporting events. He mentioned expanding these efforts, saying, “We also need to look at a responsible expansion to those state and [local partners], to other departments or agencies at the federal level, who could assist with this and close some of those gaps.”

Watch the full hearing here.