photo by Diane Krauthamer
From AlertDC:
“Local, state, and federal public safety agencies will conduct a National Capital Region Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems exercise on November 10, 11, and 12, with November 13 reserved as a contingency day. Exercise activity will occur between 12AM and 4AM, and residents may see or hear small, unmanned aircraft (drones) operating during those hours. There is no cause for alarm.”
More details from Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments:
“Local, state, and federal public safety agencies will participate in the National Capital Region (NCR) Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) Exercise on November 10, 11, and 12 with November 13 reserved as a contingency day. During the overnight hours, public safety officials will test technology that detects and tracks unauthorized small, unmanned aircraft, commonly known as drones.
This exercise is not a response to any specific threat, and residents should not be alarmed if they see or hear a drone between the overnight hours of 12:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. Public safety agencies regularly test new equipment and communication systems to ensure the region is prepared to respond to emerging safety challenges.
For several months, exercise participants collaborated with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) and the District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) on the three-day exercise. The exercise tests the effectiveness of an expanded sensor network under realistic flight conditions, assesses information sharing and interagency coordination, and identifies operational improvements. Officials will also test data flows from individual sensors into shared command platforms and mapping software, giving partners across different jurisdictions a single, real-time view of the airspace to support rapid, coordinated decisions.
In 2025, the Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded approximately $28.5 million to the NCR to expand regional C-UAS capabilities. HSEMA administers the award on behalf of the region, with the COG coordinating implementation in partnership with federal, state, and local agencies and under the guidance of the District, Maryland, and Virginia homeland security advisors.”