Subcommittee on oversight will come to order. In front of you are pacts containing the written testimony, biography, and truth and testimony disclosures of todays witness panel. Ill reck nieces myself for five minutes for an Opening Statement. Good morning and welcome. This hearing titled operating Unmanned Aircraft systems in the National Air Space system assessing research and Development Efforts to ensure safety is a first hearing for the 113th congress subcommittee on oversight. During our break, our name changed, but our general and special investty investigative to study all laws and government activities are involving nonmilitary research and development remaining the same. Id like to extend a warm welcome to the Witnesses Today, really appreciate you guys being here. Also, i want to welcome our returning members and our new members including the subcommittees Ranking Member and distinguished gentleman from new york new york. I look forward to working with you all and the Ranking Member on this committee. Todays hearing focusing on intergrating Unmanned Aircraft systems or uas, into the National Air Space. As a pilot, im extremely interested in this issue. Specifically, we hope to gain a better understanding of the risk, the technology obstacles, and key research and Development Efforts being undertaken to overcome the obstacles. Uas has garnered a great deal of attention lately. In fact, if you watched the news this morning, theres a lot of lot of news about this issue. In january, pbss nov a had a documentary called rise of the drones, and last weeks Time Magazine cover carried the same title, and, of course, the administrations use of drones for targeting terrorists to con cronet our war on terrorism has come to be a central issue in the confirmation hearing of the proposed cia directer, the nominee, john brennan. However, privacy issues and military applications of uas beyond the scope of this hearing. I use the term Unmanned Aircraft systems or usa instead of uas or drones because it is a more complete term. Uas are complex systems made up of not just aircraft, but as well as supporting ground, air, and communications infrastructure. Uas comes in a variety of shapes and sizes and carries out a wide range of missions. Aviation has come a long way in a relatively short period of time thanks to American Innovation and i think newty. The list of pioneers in aviation and aerospace is very long. You may not know the details of the achievement, but im shore you know names like cesna, James Mcdonald and donald douglas, howard hughes, william boeing, charles limbburg, Kelly Johnson just to name a few. The next steps in modern aviation began with two american brothers in 190 1903. They will likely transform civilian and commercial sectors. The group in the industry and market Firm Predicts that they spend over 49 billion on uas over the next decade. In 2010, the association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International estimated that over the next 15 years, more than 23,000uas jobs totaling 1. 6 billion in wages could very well be created. This does not include the tens of thousands of secondary jobs in sector manufacturing, software development, and other compliment ri industries. That said, the addition of thousands of tens of thousands of additional aircraft into the National Air Space certainly poses safety concerns. Theres no guarantee that accidents will not occur, but we need to take every precaution to reduce the risk involved in the uas integration. Last year, congress directed the federal agencies including the faa and nasa collaborating in accelerating the integration of uas into the National Air Space. The faa modernization and reform act of 2012 contains provisions designed to promote and facilitate the use of civilian Unmanned Aircraft. We, on the subcommittee, know that youve been working hard and have made progress towards meeting the prescribed objectives, but we also know that there are many unresolved issues, both technologically and regulatorily. Again, i go to the goal today to have the research to overcome Technology Issues and mitigate risk involved with uas integration into the National Air Space system. Were particularly interested in hearing about any advances towards eliminating as a as a vulnerabilities. The agreements on technological standards and the Washington Post reported Nine American uas crashes occurred near civilian airports overseas as a result of pilot ere error. Theres poor coordination with air Traffic Controllers. In august 2010, the New York Times reported that a navy uas violated air space over washington, d. C. When the operators lost control due to a software issue. While this may be more acceptable in remote areas overseas, we need to do much better here in our own skies. The threat of the jamming, gp gps navigational hacking has to be addressed before any integration into the National Air Space. Overcoming the challenges will require Significant Research investments by both the public and private sector. Given the nations current financial state, this demands more efficient coordination between all stake holders. I recognize Ranking Member, the gentleman from new york, mr. [inaudible] for an Opening Statement. You are recognized, sir, for five minutes. Thank you very much, mr. Chairman. Im excited about the opportunity to work with you on this important subcommittee. I particularly want to compliment you for leadership in calling the hearing today. I hope it wont surprise you that on this issue i will be echoing a lot of the comments and i thought your Opening Statement articulate. Addressing the research and Development Efforts regarding integration of Unmanned Aircraft systems or uas is a serious issue and presents challenges and possible economic opportunity, and also potential threats to liberties and safety. I know firsthand what a complicated issue it is and the challenge it presents, unmanned unit operates out of my district in hancock field. While that are commonly referred to as drones, it goes beyond what that word implies. There is a real Human Element to unmanned flight of this kind just as theres an increasingly robotic demand in flight. Theres integrating usa into the National Air Space, and my constituents express concerns on a daily basis. These aircraft represent technologies with broad uses among Many Industries and Government Agencies. They could provide benefits from the farmers, firefighters, search and rescue, researchers, meteorologists, and scientists. Regardless of the specific use, we have to ensure that Unmanned Systems operate in the National Air Space safely and securely, but, first, they must overcome the technical challenges that exist, and, indeed, there are many. A 2012gao report have areas to be addressed before they can fly safely in the skies. Chief among them is the stark reality that the technology to provide Unmanned Aircraft the ability to, quote, avoid other aircraft and airborne objects does not currently exist. Thats a serious concern. Other challenges range from lost link scenarios, communication severedded as a result of environmental or technology factors. Requiring radio spectrum to secure the communication for uas operations, particularly as the spectrum needs censors to expand is another challenge. I look forward to the witnesses addressing challenges in depth today. Theres a real and critical Human Element of unmanned flight of any kind, highly skilled pilots who sat in the cockpits sit in ground stations detached from the sennation of flight and g forces while being connected to the outcome of the mission. We need to ensure these Human Elements from proper training and certifications are appropriately incorporated into the uas integration as well. A year ago, the faa modernization reform act of 2012 was signed into law. It required the faa to establish an integration plan permitting Unmanned Systems to operate in the United States by september of 2015. I look forward to hearing from the faa today on their progress in the last year as well as a realistic report op what challenges remain and where the faa stands in meeting the deadlines. Now, 20 years ago, Cell Phone Technology was in the infancy, and within ten years, they transformed from mobile phones to the pocket accessory uses to help Small Businesses and owners extanned. While security and safety concerns about the use and growth of the devices, they have cameras on them now, existed since the beginning. The proliferation and advancements have not slowed. Today, there are more than 315 million cell phones in the United States alone, and most of the devices carry cameras and gps or global positions satellite capabilities as well. While the advances are not restricted, theres limit on the cell phones. This should be an analogy to us. Despite all of the recognized challenges with uas, whether we we like it or not, for better or for worse, the technology is here and not going away. The public sec a sector and commercial sector is interested in the technology. As a result, we must develop the necessary frame work to handle uas safely and securely and ensure the protection of individual rights and personal privacy in the air and on the ground. Like any new technology, it is impossible to predict the path uas will take. A tremendous task of ensuring the safe and secure operation and integration of uas into the air space, we are presented with a challenge of balancing all of the important issues. Theres private sector issues, which might help grow the economy. The governments interest is to provide domestic security, and, we, as representatives are charged with safeguarding the publics interest and protecting Civil Liberties. Developing and effective regulatory frame work could be the process, but this hearing is one step towards ensuring this is happening in a timely and effective manner. It is our responsibility, and we dont take it lightly, to ensure the need for oversight and have proper procedures created and federal agencies meet the timelines to address the rapid emergence of the uas systems in our National Air Space. Thats why, i again, compliment the chairman. Thank you for the leadership in calling the hearing today. I want to thank the witnesses, and i look forward to your testimony. Thank you very much, mr. Chairman. Mr. Maffet, thank you so much. I look forward to working with you as we go forward in the congress, and from your statements, i can tell you and i will be close colleagues protecting Civil Liberties and privacy issues because those issues are extremely pont to me and important to me and have been for a long time since ive been here and before i came here. I want to introduce the witnesses. First is dr. Carlin toner, director of joint planning development, opposite the federal aviation administration. Next witness is dr. Edgar wagner, director of the integrated Systems ResearchProgram Office at nasa, and the time witness today is dr. Gerald dillingham at the Government Accountability office, gao. As the witnesses should know, spoken testimonys limited to five minutes each after which the members of the committee have five minutes each to ask questions. Now i now recognize dr. Toner to present her testimony. Thank you, mr. Chairman. Good morning, chairman broun, congressman maffe, and members of the subcommittee. I appreciate the opportunity to appear before you today to discuss the federal aviation administrations Current Research in support of Unmanned AircraftSystems Integration into our National Air Space system. Im the director of the joint planning and develop office and touches upon the role the office plays in faa till at a timing and coordinating facilitating and coordinating Research Efforts within the department of commerce, defense, and Homeland Security, nasa, and the faa. Id also like to take this opportunity to speak to you about the so listation that the faa announced yesterday requesting interested state and local governments, eligible universities, and other public entities to develop six uas research and test sites around the country. This solicitation was done in accordance with the faa modernization and reform act of 2012 which directed the faa to establish the test sites in order to conduct the Critical Research that will help determine how best to safely integrate these systems into ours now. Once the tests are conducted, later this year, we expect to learn how uas operate in different environments and how they impact air traffic operations. The test sites also inform the agency as we develop standards for certifying Unmanned Aircraft and determine the necessary air traffic requirements. In addition to the test sites, faa is publishing a notice in the federal register asking the public to review draft privacy language and provide input. The broad outline of faas privacy proposal will require each test site to ensure their privacy policies address the following notice or awareness, choice and consent, access and participation, integrity and security, and, finally, Enforcement Mechanisms to deal with violations of these policies. The faa thinks the test sites will provide Important Information that will inform our integration process moving forward. With respect to faa east research and Development Efforts, we are working in four areas, void, control and communication, maintenance and repair, and human factors. Research in all four areas are critical as the Opening Statements mentioned. My written statement contains more details on each area, but id like to take a moment to highlight the work rewith doing with nasa in the area of control and communication. The faa is collaborating with nasa on prototype architecture that will be used to develop a high level Security Risk assessment. Our joint work will define the Network Architecture and candidate security mechanisms for protecting the air Ground Communications that can eventually be used to develop Security Standards and requirements. Likewise, all of our Partner Agencies have Mission Related incentives for uas integration to succeed. The jpo enables leveraging Research Done by different agencies to ensure all agencies are aware of and can benefit from the work being done throughout the administration. This synergy such as the faa nasa partnership i described ensures that all Research Dollars are used as effectively as possible to reach the common role of safe uas integration. I certainly understand the desire to safely integrate uas into the now. Because the mission is to ensure the safety and efficiency, integration occurs to the extent faa is satisfied that the safety will not be degraded by the introduction of the new aircraft. This is an extremely complex endeavor, but faa has been challenged with problems in the past. The aviation Safety Record is a testament to the fact that we have been able to meet those challenges. Mr. Chairman, this includes my statement, and ill be happy to answer your questions. Thank you, dr. Toner, and i appreciate youre staying within five minutes. That was perfect. Thank you so much. Excellent. Now i recognize dr. Wagner for five minutes. Chairman broun, Ranking Member maffet, members of the subcommittee, i thank you for the opportunity to testify on the research and development for integration. Theres a growing demand to routinely fly Unmanned Aircraft, and im sure youre aware that Unmanned Aircraft