Drones Shut Down a US Military Base. Reflects a Growing Problem. [Video]

A US military base in Ohio briefly closed its airspace heading into the weekend after small drones were spotted in the area, officials confirmed to Business Insider on Monday.

Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is the latest military installation to report drone activity in its vicinity, though, unlike some of the others, it actually interfered with operations. The development, like incidents at civilian airfields, speaks to a growing problem: a proliferation of drones that can spy on military bases or hazard their operations.

Drones, especially small quadcopters, can be easily purchased for a few hundred dollars, and as the war in Ukraine has shown, they are surprisingly versatile. In the hands of an extremist, spy or even a careless enthusiast, these systems pose a threat the Defense Department is scrambling to counter as it increasingly factors them into day-to-day operations, from battle to base security.

Within the past few weeks, there have been multiple confirmed drone …