US Federal Aviation Administration proposes rule to track most drones within 3 years

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday proposed a rule that would allow for the remote tracking of most drones in U.S. airpace within three years. 

The FAA’s proposed rule aims to create a network able to identify drone operators and digitally track the vehicles from takeoff to landing, the Wall Street Journal reported

The network could help prevent midair collisions, eventually feeding data into air-traffic control facilities and systems, the report said.

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FILE: Drone flying over vegetable plants at a farm. (Photo by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

The goal is to allow law enforcement and national security agencies to pinpoint and take action against rogue or dangerous drones by “allowing them to identify an operator and make an informed decision” to decrease risks, the Journal reported. 

In the U.S., there are already around 1.5 million commercial drones, according to the publication.

There is also a race for companies, such as UPS, to create drone fleets as a complement for online retailers including Amazon, Reuters reported

This story was reported from Los Angeles.