Senate passes ROTOR Act, mandating military aircraft broadcast location via ADS-B.

December 17, 2025 at 07:57 PM•2 min read

The US Senate approved the ROTOR Act, closing a military flight loophole by requiring all aircraft use ADS-B location broadcasting.

Key Points

1The US Senate passed the ROTOR Act, mandating all military aircraft utilize ADS-B technology to broadcast their location continuously.
2The legislation was inspired by a January collision where an Army Black Hawk, flying with its ADS-B disabled, collided with an airliner near Washington D.C., resulting in 67 fatalities.
3The NTSB reported 85 near misses in the D.C. airspace in the three years prior to the crash, highlighting the need for mandatory locator systems.
4The bill closes a potential safety loophole in a recently passed defense bill and requires a national review of airport safety hazards.

The US Senate swiftly approved the bipartisan ROTOR Act, mandating that all aircraft, including military assets, must utilize Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B) technology for continuous location transmission. This crucial safety legislation was directly inspired by a fatal collision that occurred in January over Washington, D.C., where an Army Black Hawk helicopter, flying with its ADS-B system intentionally disabled during a training mission, collided with an airliner, tragically killing 67 people.

The approval came just hours after the Senate passed a large defense bill that contained provisions potentially exempting military flights from location broadcasting requirements. Senators Ted Cruz (R) and Maria Cantwell (D) championed the ROTOR Act to immediately address and close this significant safety loophole. Senator Cruz emphasized that the tragedy could have been avoided if the Black Hawk had been broadcasting its location, noting that the White House supports the Senate-approved version and expects the bill to head to the President’s desk as soon as next month.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has long recommended mandatory locator systems, citing data that showed 85 near misses in the crowded Washington D.C. airspace during the three years preceding the fatal crash. While cost concerns historically delayed implementation for general aviation, the new legislation forces the military to adhere to the same safety standards already required of commercial airliners operating in the region. Previously, military units often disabled ADS-B during training due to concerns about external observers pinpointing their exact location.

In immediate response to the collision, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had already mandated in March that all military helicopters must keep their locator systems active when operating near the nation's capital. The FAA also implemented procedural changes, pausing takeoffs and landings at Reagan National Airport (DCA) whenever a helicopter is passing through the airport's airspace to ensure separation. The ROTOR Act further requires a comprehensive review of safety hazards at airports nationwide and mandates increased safety data sharing between the military and the FAA.