Drone security questions raised years ago

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- The Pentagon didn't begin securing communications from unmanned U.S. aircraft until 2009, despite knowing about the vulnerability in 2004, officers said.

People familiar with the discussions said senior Pentagon officials raised concerns about Russia and China intercepting and manipulating video from drone aircraft in 2004, but those concerns were pushed to the back burner because of more immediate concerns about militants' guerrilla tactics in Iraq and Afghanistan, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

Members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff discussed the gap in 2004 and 2005, but officers at the time weren't concerned about communications being intercepted in Iraq or Afghanistan because they believed militants were technically unsophisticated, sources told the Journal.

On Thursday, however, officials confirmed militants in Iraq recorded drone video feeds several times during the past year, but never gained control of the aircraft or meddled with its flight. The feeds since have been secured.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said the Defense Department continually evaluates the security of the drones and other surveillance devices. He said the military worked to close any gaps found in the reviews.

Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., vice chairman of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, expressed concern about adequate encryption, saying there was a "very good chance we're going to have hearings" about the issue next year.