Drones, gyrocopters pose security problem, say US officials

Washington

THE mini-helicopter that flew into the US capital this month has exposed a security problem as military radar is not designed to distinguish slow-moving, small craft from flocks of birds, officials said on Wednesday.

The gyrocopter that violated Washington's no-fly zone and landed on the US Capitol lawn on April 15 was not picked up by radar because the systems are set up to ignore slow, small and low- flying objects that can include kites, birds or balloons.