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Title 10, Armed ForcesRelease 119-110

§6227 Protection of Certain Nuclear Facilities and Assets From Unmanned Aircraft

Title 10 › Subtitle A — General Military Law › PART VI — ELEMENTS OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE AND OTHER MATTERS › Subpart B — Atomic Energy Defense › CHAPTER 605 — SAFEGUARDS AND SECURITY MATTERS › SUBCHAPTER I — SAFEGUARDS AND SECURITY › § 6227

Last updated Sep 23, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Energy can act to protect certain nuclear sites and assets from drones when the Secretary decides a drone is a threat, after talking with the Secretary of Transportation. The Secretary may detect, identify, watch, and track a drone (including intercepting its control signals). The Secretary may warn the drone operator, disrupt or block the drone’s control, take control of or seize the drone, and use reasonable force to disable, damage, or destroy it. Any drone the Secretary seizes can be forfeited to the United States. The Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of Transportation must work together to create these actions, can make rules, and must issue guidance. Covered facilities are those the Secretary of Energy names in the United States that are NNSA-owned or contracted, store or use special nuclear material, or are national security labs or nuclear weapons production sites. “Unmanned aircraft” and “unmanned aircraft system” mean what section 331 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 says.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §6227

Armed Forces, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Authority.—
Notwithstanding any provision of title 18, the Secretary of Energy may take such actions described in subsection (b)(1) that are necessary to mitigate the threat (as defined by the Secretary of Energy, in consultation with the Secretary of Transportation) that an unmanned aircraft system or unmanned aircraft poses to the safety or security of a covered facility or asset.
(b)Actions Described.—
(1)The actions described in this paragraph are the following:
(A)Detect, identify, monitor, and track the unmanned aircraft system or unmanned aircraft, without prior consent, including by means of intercept or other access of a wire, oral, or electronic communication used to control the unmanned aircraft system or unmanned aircraft.
(B)Warn the operator of the unmanned aircraft system or unmanned aircraft, including by passive or active, and direct or indirect physical, electronic, radio, and electromagnetic means.
(C)Disrupt control of the unmanned aircraft system or unmanned aircraft, without prior consent, including by disabling the unmanned aircraft system or unmanned aircraft by intercepting, interfering, or causing interference with wire, oral, electronic, or radio communications used to control the unmanned aircraft system or unmanned aircraft.
(D)Seize or exercise control of the unmanned aircraft system or unmanned aircraft.
(E)Seize or otherwise confiscate the unmanned aircraft system or unmanned aircraft.
(F)Use reasonable force to disable, damage, or destroy the unmanned aircraft system or unmanned aircraft.
(2)The Secretary of Energy shall develop the actions described in paragraph (1) in coordination with the Secretary of Transportation.
(c)Forfeiture.—
Any unmanned aircraft system or unmanned aircraft described in subsection (a) that is seized by the Secretary of Energy is subject to forfeiture to the United States.
(d)Regulations.—
The Secretary of Energy and the Secretary of Transportation may prescribe regulations and shall issue guidance in the respective areas of each Secretary to carry out this section.
(e)Definitions.—
In this section: (1)
(2)The terms “unmanned aircraft” and “unmanned aircraft system” have the meanings given those terms in section 331 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 (Public Law 112–95; 49 U.S.C. 40101 note).

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 331 of the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012, referred to in subsec. (e)(2), which was formerly set out in a note under section 40101 of Title 49, Transportation, was transferred and is now set out in a note under section 44802 of Title 49. Codification Amendment by section 3114 of Pub. L. 119–60 directed to section 4510 of Pub. L. 107–314 executed to this section pursuant to section 3111(d)(1)(E) of Pub. L. 119–60. See Further Technical

Amendments

note set out under section 6114 of this title.

Prior Provisions

Provisions similar to those in this section were contained in section 2661 of Title 50, War and National Defense, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 119–60, § 3111(b)(1).

Amendments

2025—Pub. L. 119–60, § 3111(d)(2)(B), realigned margins. Subsec. (e)(1)(C). Pub. L. 119–60, §§ 3111(d)(1)(E), 3114, amended subpar. (C) generally. Prior to amendment, subpar. (C) read as follows: “owned by the United States or contracted to the United States, to store or use special nuclear material.” See Codification note above.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 6227

Title 10, Armed Forces

Last Updated

Sep 23, 2026

Release point: 119-110