US State Department vs. Olympic Drones: Security Officials Call Unmanned Aircraft a “Massive Issue” Ahead of Milano Cortina

The US government is treating drones as a standing threat category at next month’s Winter Olympics in Italy, with security planners preparing for everything from illicit filming to explosive payloads.

• The threat: US officials helping safeguard Americans at the Milano Cortina Games are stepping up drone disruption planning.
• The quote: Tim Ayers, Director of the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service Major Events Coordination Division, called drones “a massive issue.”
• The challenge: Mountain venues are harder to monitor and easier to conceal drone launches.
• Source: Reuters

US security officials now treat drones as a standing threat category

Tim Ayers, Director of the US State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Major Events Coordination Division, confirmed in an interview that drones have become a permanent fixture in security planning for international events. Host nations and visiting security teams now treat unmanned aircraft as a default threat, not an edge case.

“Our authorities are constantly on the lookout,” Ayers said. He described drones as “a massive issue” that requires continuous monitoring.

The shift reflects lessons learned from Ukraine, where small unmanned aircraft have demonstrated lethal capabilities at scale. The US government has recently increased spending on counter-drone technology in response.

Italian police are preparing drone restrictions around mountain venues

Italian police and military units are setting up monitoring systems and flight restrictions around the outdoor mountain venues for the Milano Cortina Games. These locations present unique challenges for drone defense.

Mountain terrain makes radar coverage inconsistent. Tree lines and elevation changes provide natural concealment for drone operators. Launch points can be far from security perimeters while still providing line-of-sight to venues.

Legitimate drone use, such as television broadcasts, will require approval through a credentialing system. Security planners expect unauthorized drone activity despite the restrictions.

“The Italians have primacy, it’s their country,” Ayers said. “We’re there as a backstop to share information and expertise as needed.”

Becky McKnight, a DSS special agent who has been based in Milan for nearly two years, said her day-to-day work has focused on relationship-building with Italian law enforcement and repeatedly visiting Olympic venues across northern Italy to understand terrain, travel choke points, and command structures.

Paris Olympics showed what organizers are up against

Security officials pointed to the Paris Olympics as a recent case study. While authorities planned for the possibility of drones delivering harmful devices, the more common incidents involved spectators trying to capture unauthorized footage or conducting activity that could resemble surveillance.

In those cases, host-nation forces focused on identifying and apprehending operators, enforcing no-drone zones, and deploying counter-unmanned aircraft systems to force drones down, take control of them, or block them electronically.

Recent European drone incidents have raised the stakes

Drones have disrupted airspace across Europe in recent months. Germany even granted police the power to shoot down drones after repeated airport closures. Low-cost unmanned aircraft have become an everyday challenge for major sporting events.

The combination of commercial availability, improving payload capacity, and demonstrated military effectiveness has changed the threat calculus. The US government’s increased spending on anti-drone technology signals that officials expect this problem to intensify, not fade.

DroneXL’s Take

This is the new normal. Every major international event now has “drone threat” as a line item in the security budget. The Milano Cortina Games sit in mountain terrain that’s basically ideal for rogue drone operators — elevation, concealment, unpredictable wind patterns that complicate interception.

The real question isn’t whether drones will be a problem at these Olympics. It’s whether the counter-drone systems work in alpine conditions. Most detection gear is optimized for flat, open terrain. Mountains create radar shadows. Cold temps affect battery performance on both attacking and defending systems.

I expect at least one high-profile drone incursion during the Games, followed by calls for stricter international drone regulations. By summer 2026, we’ll see new proposals for geofencing requirements at major events — and DJI will quietly update firmware to comply before anyone asks.

Last update on 2026-01-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API