Combating Foreign Terrorist Drones Act of 2024

(1) Foreign terrorist organizations, including al Qaeda, the Islamic State, and groups backed by Iran such as the Houthis, have used unmanned aerial systems to commit violence and to conduct attacks against members of the Armed Forces and interests of the United States overseas.

(2) Since its inception in 2014, the Islamic State has used commercially-available unmanned aerial systems, including Chinese-manufactured drones.

(3) In 2023, the United Kingdom arrested an individual for designing a three-dimensional printed drone for the Islamic State to deliver chemical weapons.

(4) According to public reporting, Iranian-backed terrorist organizations and proxy militias have further increased the frequency of unmanned aerial system attacks against the Armed Forces and interests of the United States in the wake of the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas in Israel.

(5) On or around October 17, 2023, 21 members of the Armed Forces sustained injuries from drone and rocket attacks by Iran-sponsored proxy groups against military bases of the United States in Syria and Iraq.

(6) On January 28, 2024, three members of the Armed Forces were killed and more than 40 members of the Armed Forces were injured in an unmanned aerial system attack, committed by groups backed by Iran, in Jordan.

(7) In February 2024, the Defense Intelligence Agency confirmed the use by the Houthis of unmanned aerial systems from Iran to conduct attacks, including against civilian targets and maritime infrastructure.

(8) According to United States Central Command, the threat posed by unmanned aerial systems, coupled with the lack of dependable, networked capability to counter them is the most concerning tactical development since the rise of improvised explosive devices in Iraq.

(9) Foreign terrorist organization access to and use of unmanned aerial systems presents national security threats to the United States, its personnel, and its interests abroad, and it is critical that the Department of Defense acts effectively to interrupt the supply of such systems to foreign terrorist organizations.

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the congressional defense committees an intelligence assessment of foreign terrorist organization acquisition of unmanned aerial systems.

The assessment required by subsection (a) shall cover the following:

(1) Methods by which foreign terrorist organizations acquire unmanned aerial systems, such as through commercial purchase, diversion, illicit manufacture, trafficking, state-sponsored supply, or theft or recovery from nation-state operators.

(2) Identification of suppliers, networks, routes, production facilities, and other key nodes that facilitate the acquisition of unmanned aerial systems by foreign terrorist organizations.

(3) An evaluation of the degree of coordination and intelligence sharing with allies and partners of the United States to prevent foreign terrorist organizations from acquiring unmanned aerial systems.

(4) Recommendations for legislative or administrative action to limit or combat foreign terrorist organization acquisition of unmanned aerial systems.

The assessment submitted pursuant to subsection (a) shall be submitted in classified form.

In this section:

(1) The term congressional defense committees has the meaning given such term in section 101(a) of title 10, United States Code.

(2) The term foreign terrorist organization means any organization or individual designated as a—

(A) foreign terrorist organization by the Secretary of State pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1189); or

(B) specially designated global terrorist under Executive Order 13224 (50 U.S.C. 1701 note; relating to blocking property and prohibiting transactions with persons who commit, threaten to commit, or support terrorism), or successor order, or section 594.310 of title 31, Code of Federal Regulations, or successor regulation.