Drone owners, whether hobbyists or commercial drone operators, will need to consult their maps before flying their drones on certain areas. Their drones might just trespass on military property, and with the new policy that the Pentagon just approved, they might get shot down or seized if deemed to be threats.

The new policy comes into force due to incidents of intrusions of drones above the bases with Popular Mechanics (not related to Popular Airsoft) reporting that one came into near collision with a F-22 Raptor, a stealth fighter plane that costs US$150 million (or US$250 million, depending on the source). But just one loss of the country’s premier interceptor is unimaginable and this incident is what led the Pentagon to signing off the new policy.

Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis said to Military.com that the bases “retain the right of self-defense when it comes to UAVs or drones operating over [them,]. This means the gloves are off and they can destroy, seize, or track the drones hovering over the military installations and this policy covers 133 bases and facilities across the USA.

The policy can be clear cut for those visible military bases that do the country, but there also concerns regarding other locations which the military rents out. One example cited by Military.com is about the silos for the Minuteman III nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles in the fields around Minot Air Force base in Minnesota. The land is leased from farmers and that farmers nowadays are using drones to survey or inspect their fields, making it easier for them using traditional methods.

But for those who fly drones near visibly mark military installations, they will have to tread with caution as they might just lose their drones if they fly into these, intentional or not. Either they can check the geofencing features of their drone apps or update it if need be, which some drones actually offer. But for those drones without geofencing, then they have to err more on the side of caution lest they lose their investments in these expensive things.

For airsoft event  organisers that got permission to hold an airsoft event inside a military and planning aerial footages with drones, they better consult the administration of the base on the use of such camera drones. Having their drone shot down whilst in the midst of taking a nice airsoft action footage will really ruin their day.