Image credit: Skydio
The United States Transportation Security Administration has certified 18 Federal Air Marshals to operate the agency’s Skydio X10 drones.
Held over three days at the decommissioned Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, the course aimed to improve the way the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) assesses airport security vulnerabilities.
The newly certified pilots will now support airport perimeter assessments, critical infrastructure vulnerability analysis, and UAS response exercises, areas that previously relied on tabletop exercises alone.
“This inaugural sUAS pilot certification training is a game changer for Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service (LE/FAMS) and TSA,” said Serge Potapov, Executive Director of the LE/FAMS Flight Programs Branch. “By integrating cutting-edge drone technology into our law enforcement tool kit, we are enhancing our ability to safeguard transportation security with greater reach, precision and efficiency.”
The training is part of TSA’s broader strategy to address increasing drone activity around US airports. Since 2021, the agency has recorded over 2,000 drone sightings near airports, with several incidents requiring pilots to take evasive action.
The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) has called for modifications to statutory authorities, urging better coordination on drone detection and counter-drone operations to mitigate these risks.
LE/FAMS partnered with the Las Vegas Metro Police Department (LVMPD) for the training, leveraging the stadium’s open terrain and favourable climate. The collaboration allows TSA to conduct its certification programmes at no cost while benefiting from LVMPD’s expertise in drone operations.
“This course gives our FAMs the ability to proactively assess threats and enhance security operations,” said Assistant Supervisory Air Marshal in Charge Ty Fletcher. “We can now conduct real-time airport security assessments rather than relying solely on theoretical exercises.”
TSA has scheduled another certification event next month for Midwest field offices, with plans to extend training to the East Coast this summer.
