The dangers of the drone activity over the United States have largely been ignored by an outgoing President and his administration despite a potentially plausible explanation. Because of this benign neglect, we, as a nation, have entered one of the most dangerous periods since World War II. 

The combination of an absent incumbent President and his lame duck administration, an incoming transitioning new government, not yet confirmed, makes the potential of a massive national security exposure the greatest since the attacks of September 11, 2001, and December 7, 1941. Unless we take drastic action immediately, the consequences are likely to be severe.

The risks of a weakened command structure at this perilous time are the worst I have seen in my military and civilian careers. In any effective military strategy, operational “seams” or weaknesses are exploited by any determined enemy. Our operational seams include a change of administration and conflicting laws between local, state, and federal agencies to respond to threats on our homeland. 

Compounding the crisis is a genuine lack of credibility in the current administration by many of our citizens. This administration lacks the focus to lead in these tumultuous times.

In an 2023 press release a plausible explanation for the drone activity may exist. The press release indicated:

“An agreement to create a test and evaluation corridor for the development of Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) and automated Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) technologies was recently signed by officials representing U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), Air Mobility Command (AMC), the National Aerospace Research & Technology Park (NARTP), and the Atlantic County Economic Alliance (ACEA).

…Under the terms of the Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), the parties will cooperatively develop a prototype dual-use U.S. East Coast test and evaluation corridor for the demonstration, development, and evaluation of military, commercial, academic, and Federal Government UAS and AAM technologies with future application to strategic airlift capabilities of the U.S. Air Force.”

What is incredible about this possible explanation is that this would be the only comment the administration would need to make to put the entire issue to rest. 

Instead, the Biden team has inadvertently reaffirmed that the operational seams that existed on 9/11 are many of the same weaknesses that are being exploited today albeit worsened by tens of millions of unknown and unvetted illegal immigrants. 

FBI Director Wray when he testified in front of the United States Senate warned:

“In many ways, the national security ramifications of the issues at the border are better reflected in some ways more by what we don’t know about the people who snuck in, provided fake documents, or in some other way got in when there wasn’t sufficient information available at the time they came in to connect the dots, is almost more significant in our view than the actual number of so-called [known or suspected terrorists] because those people, for the most part, are stopped, detained, and processed appropriately,” 

The economic warfare implications of the drone activity and prior balloon excursions are profound. When combined with an estimated tens of millions of illegal immigrants during the Biden Administration, the potential for those unvetted immigrants to engage in nefarious activity must certainly be explored. 

During my time in the Marine Corps Reserve, I served as a regional affairs expert with an expertise in economic warfare and then as a Commanding Officer of the 4th Civil Affairs Group. During these tours, with time spent in Eastern Europe, the Caribbean, and eventually to Iraq and Afghanistan, the sophistication of our enemy was apparent. They should not be underestimated.

The most recent war in the Ukraine, as well as the intelligence surprise on October 7 of the horrific attack on innocent Israeli citizens — including many Americans who became hostages as well — should be ample warning to all of us to take this threat of unknown drone activity in the United States seriously and respond aggressively.

The Administration’s exhortations that the concerns are exaggerated are absolutely mind-boggling. This current President is playing roulette with our lives and our economy.

It is urgent that the Biden Administration engage with the Trump Transition Team immediately so that all risks are effectively explored.

The new Senate must confirm President Trump’s nominees immediately. Prudence would also dictate that the transition of working staff should begin as soon as possible.

Additionally, the NSA, CIA, FAA and Homeland Security heads must focus sufficient intelligence assets on the threat to determine the scope of their behavior and the extent of the risk.

All of our leaders should remember Sun Tzu’s famous exhortation:

“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”

We must be vigilant, determined and focused. A determined enemy will focus on that which is weakest – our operational seams and a vulnerable infrastructure with an ultimate impact on our economic prowess. As we seek tariffs as an economic tool, a determined enemy seeks confusion and chaos. Unfortunately, the current administration has been absent without leave (AWOL).

Wake up! Lead, follow, or get out of the way.

Frank Ryan, CPA, USMCR (Ret) represented the 101st District in the PA House of Representatives from 2017 to 2022. He is a retired Marine Reserve Colonel, a CPA and specializes in corporate restructuring. He has served on numerous boards of publicly traded and non-profit organizations. He can be reached at FRYAN1951@gmail.com.