WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military is revealing it was close to launching fighter jets — and briefly discussed a possible shoot-down — after an errant Navy drone wandered into restricted air space near the nation’s capital last month.
The incident underscores safety concerns with unmanned aircraft as defense officials campaign to use them more during natural disasters and other security-related events.
Navy Adm. James Winnefeld Jr. said Thursday that the August mishap does not help the Pentagon’s push to have the Federal Aviation Administration ease procedures for drone use by the military in the skies over the United States.
