Unmanned aerial drones are a potential threat against the 2026 FIFA World Cup games and other events and targets, a Washington National Guard leader told attendees of a Nov. 5 summit on the matter at Camp Murray in Renton, Wash. File Photo by Ukrainian President Press Office/UPI | License Photo
Drone attacks are a new wrinkle in 21st-century warfare and terrorist attacks that require defensive preparations ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to a Washington state conference.
The Washington National Guard on Nov. 5 hosted more than 100 federal, state and local government leaders for a conference dubbed the Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems Summit at Camp Murray in Renton, Wash.
“If you think about where the world was on Sept. 10th. [2001], we are at a very similar place, Washington National Guard Maj. Gen.Gent Welsh told attendees.
“This isn’t about the World Cup,” Welsh said. “This is about protecting America.”
Welsh is the state of Washington’s adjutant general and its homeland security adviser
A unified approach involving the public and private sectors is necessary to effectively counter potential aerial attacks by unmanned drones, he said.
The summit included simulated drone attacks on Lumen Field in Seattle that were carried out by the National Guard.
The attacks were simulated on a tabletop to depict drone attacks against Lumen Field while a World Cup match occurred and two others against important infrastructure targets, according to Military Times.
The simulation demonstrated possible launch sites, the tactics that might be used and how cooperation among multiple agencies could respond to such events.
Welsh said the 9/11 Commission report had pointed to “red flags” being ignored ahead of the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon and the deadly crash of United Airlines Flight 93 into a field in Pennsylvania.
“[The 9/11 Commission] report talked about red flags that popped up prior to 9/11, and now we have seen what is happening across the globe with drones and need to be ready,” Welsh said.
The drone-attack simulations demonstrated the need for unified responses due to limitations placed on various governmental units, resource gaps, policy barriers and legal limitations, Military Times reported.
“We have a lot of people talking about the problem from different angles, but we are talking past each other,” Welsh said.
“I am glad we finally got everyone together and can walk through the problem,” he added.
The World Cup is scheduled from June 11 through July 19 at 11 locations across the United States and at others in Mexico and Canada.
Seattle is scheduled to host six World Cup games at Lumen Field.
