PERSPECTIVE: Addressing the Danger Commercial UAVs Present to Critical Infrastructure

Protecting National security and critical infrastructure

This article written by Astrion’s Brad Pasho originally appeared in the Homeland Security Today. Brad explores how widely available UAVs are exposing serious vulnerabilities in our infrastructure – and what we can do about it. From power plants to transportation systems, these small drones are already being used by bad actors to surveil, disrupt, and even attempt destruction. And as the technology gets better, smaller, and cheaper, the threat only grows. To stay ahead, we need smarter, more integrated counter-UAS solutions, and we need them now. At Astrion, we bring together 30+ years of mission experience, advanced technologies, and proven systems integration capabilities to help government agencies, utilities, and other organizations defend our critical infrastructure.

In November 2024, undercover FBI agents arrested Skyler Philippi and charged him with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction to destroy an energy facility. 

Philippi had planned to use a drone armed with C-4 explosives to attack an electrical substation near Nashville, Tenn. Fortunately, a source tipped off the FBI, and agents foiled his plans.  

Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), offer a multitude of practical applications, including agricultural seeding, mapping and surveying, and infrastructure inspection. 

But they also present a serious threat, especially to critical infrastructure, security, and public safety, as evidenced by the planned attack in Nashville. It’s imperative that local, state, and national agencies work aggressively to ensure the safety and security of infrastructure from potential drone attacks. 

Infrastructure is an easy target 

For bad actors looking to cripple a region or inflect massive pain on a nation, critical infrastructure is often seen as a soft target. In fact, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s 2025 Homeland Threat Assessment specifically noted that domestic and foreign adversaries continue to pose a danger to the integrity of the nation’s critical infrastructure. 

From electricity to water and sewage to transportation systems, critical infrastructure underpins the basic operations of our society. A successful attack on electrical substations, oil and gas lines, agriculture production, and communications centers can, at best, disrupt service delivery, and at worst, disrupt the economy, harm public health and safety, cause an ecological disaster, and threaten national security. 

Consider the aftermath of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Maryland. Though not an intentional act, the damage to the bridge led to major disruptions to shipping operations and supply chains, significant traffic congestion, and long detours for commuters in the area.  

A larger, more concerted effort to damage other key critical infrastructure could have been even more devastating. 

Why commercial drones are challenging 

The technology behind commercially available UAVs continues to advance and excel. Drones are becoming smaller, faster, and better able to perform tasks such as product delivery or surveillance. 

These advancements have made them increasingly valuable tools in a variety of industries. Roofers use them to inspect shingle damage. Videographers use UAVs to capture overhead shots at major sporting events. Academic researchers use drones to transport supplies to remote research sites. And visual artists are using drones to create magnificent aerial displays that surpass the abilities of fireworks. 

This has made drones a relatively common sight, and their use throughout society is likely to increase. Drone Industry Insights expects drone sales to grow from $26.3 billion in 2021 to $57.8 billion by 2030.  

At the same time, the potential for commercial UAVs to be used in malicious ways is increasingly apparent. Already, we are seeing a greater use of these basic commercial drones by militaries in combat and by bad actors to commit illegal or terrorist acts. 

According to the Global Terrorism Trends and Analysis Center, non-state actors carried out more than 800 drone attacks between 2018 and 2024, killing more than 1,000 people. And small, commercially available UAVs have been used to deliver contraband to prisons as well as by smugglers at the border trying to monitor U.S. Border Patrol agents.  

Bad actors can use these drones to surveil targets, build patterns of life, physically disrupt operations, or enable cyber-attacks. 

Moreover, the small size and agility of UAVs can defeat security efforts to identify, track, or monitor drone activity. This evolving threat landscape means strategies must adapt to get ahead of the risks. 

How we can combat the challenges 

Current systems for protecting critical infrastructure are no longer sufficient.  

Fences and security gates are easily penetrated by UAVs, while other security systems, including radar or radio frequency detection systems, can often miss drones or be hampered by jamming or spoofing signals. 

In addition, infrastructure facilities can be limited in their response options due to existing regulations and/or their proximity to other critical facilities. For example, a water treatment facility adjacent to an airport could not use systems like radars that could potentially hinder airport operations without proper risk assessment and permits. Also, local, state, and federal regulations typically  limit the ability to directly engage or shoot down drones. 

The dynamic, multi-dimensional threat of small, commercial UAVs necessitates equally dynamic and multi-dimensional counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS). Organizations and government agencies involved in critical infrastructure operations and security must apply holistic approaches that leverage multiple types of physical UAV sensors as well as analytic software, artificial intelligence (AI) systems, and other advanced technologies to interpret, identify, and alert security operations to threats.  

This means assessing inputs from a variety of sensors – including radar, radio frequency, electro-optical/infrared, acoustic, and lasers – simultaneously to effectively monitor and detect potential drone breaches or attacks.  

By collecting and integrating inputs from a variety of physical sensors and using advanced AI capabilities, it’s possible to create a C-UAS that not only detects emerging threats, but also continually updates threat detection algorithms, identifies threat patterns and warnings, and rapidly alerts security personnel. 

As government organizations, law enforcement agencies, utilities, and other organizations assess solutions for critical infrastructure protection, they should also ensure that solutions 

• Are built on open standards, easily integrating with various communication interfaces and data sources to facilitate efficient data sharing and collaboration. 
• Ensure deployment scalability and flexibility, are accessible via server-based platforms for enterprise-wide applications, as well as on mobile devices, to ensure critical information is available anytime and anywhere. 
• Support training and preparedness, enabling threat scenario simulation for effective rapid-response training. 
• Integrate autonomous systems to identify and engage UAVs autonomously for maximum effectiveness. 
• Ensure that test environments are constantly available to adapt to dynamic drone technologies and tactics; “always on” testing and evaluation environments are critical to stay ahead of the latest threats.  

The drone threat landscape continues to rapidly evolve and expand, including into new domains such as the undersea environment. It is more important than ever that we develop and maintain innovative solutions, including in the C2 environment as well as autonomous systems, that are adaptable and quickly scalable to ensure the safety and well-being of our communities and nation.