Pentagon gets blank check to test drones, jamming in U.S. airspace
H.R. 9909 — Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operational Test, Evaluation, and Training Corridor Act · Filed by Ronny Jackson (R-TX) · 8 cosponsors · Introduced Jul 23, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill requires the Secretary of Defense to establish one or more test and training corridors within U.S. airspace where the military can develop, test, and train on small unmanned aircraft systems (drones), counter-drone weapons, and related technologies—including electronic warfare, directed energy weapons, GPS jamming, and autonomous systems. The DoD may build new facilities or use existing ones, must identify suitable locations and assess resource needs, and must notify Congress within 90 days of establishing each corridor.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core function is to authorize and mandate DoD establishment of operational test corridors for unmanned systems and counter-drone capabilities. It is a straightforward military modernization and testing mandate, not a regulatory carve-out or subsidy.
What the text implies
- The bill authorizes GPS jamming, electronic warfare, and directed-energy weapons testing within the national airspace system without explicit environmental impact assessment, public notice, or local community consent mechanisms—only interagency coordination and congressional notification after the fact.
- The phrase 'low collateral damage weapons and munitions' and 'drone-versus-drone capabilities' suggests testing of lethal autonomous systems in domestic airspace, raising questions about civilian safety protocols and rules of engagement in test corridors.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
defense contractors specializing in unmanned systems (General Atomics, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Ma; directed-energy and electronic warfare equipment manufacturers; autonomous systems and AI software developers for military applications