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The FAA is borrowing the FBI's drone detector to help protect airports

Testing of the FBI's drone detection system at JFK International Airport in New York City is already under way.

Ry Crist Senior Editor / Reviews - Labs
Originally hailing from Troy, Ohio, Ry Crist is a writer, a text-based adventure connoisseur, a lover of terrible movies and an enthusiastic yet mediocre cook. A CNET editor since 2013, Ry's beats include smart home tech, lighting, appliances, broadband and home networking.
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Drone detected.

 Sarah Tew/CNET

Flying a drone in the vicinity of an airport is obviously a terrible idea, but apparently not obvious enough. Citing numerous reports from pilots and residents about unmanned aerial systems drifting dangerously close to commercial air space, the Federal Aviation Administration is taking action to help keep airports safe -- namely by testing the FBI's drone detection system at JFK International Airport in New York City.

The tests began earlier this month, and they are designed to help study the effectiveness of such a detection system in a commercial airport setting. The FAA claims that 40 tests have been conducted so far with a variety of types of drone test subjects.

"We applaud the FBI and FAA for their efforts to detect and track unmanned aerial systems," said Thomas Bosco, aviation director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. "We look forward to supporting continued U.S. Government efforts to identify and deploy countermeasures to neutralize the threat posed by rogue UASs."