US Army Issues Memo on ADS-B Use After Reagan Collision Probe

The US Army has submitted a previously withheld memo to the Senate Commerce Committee regarding its use of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology in the National Capital Region. The release follows an ongoing congressional investigation into a fatal midair collision between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Eagle commercial aircraft near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) on Jan. 29, 2025. The crash claimed 67 lives.

Senator Ted Cruz, Chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, confirmed on Apr. 10, 2025, that the Army provided the memo to the Senate Armed Services Committee, which subsequently forwarded it to the Commerce Committee. “The committee is reviewing the memo,” Cruz told Reuters.

The three-page document provides internal guidance for Army commanders on the conditions under which military aircraft may intentionally disable ADS-B. ADS-B is an advanced surveillance technology that broadcasts an aircraft’s location to air traffic controllers and nearby aircraft, reducing collision risks.

Initially, the Army refused to release the memo, despite formal requests from Senator Cruz and Senator Maria Cantwell, the committee’s ranking Democrat. At a Mar. 27, 2025, subcommittee hearing, Brigadier General Matthew Braman declined to commit to sharing the document, citing the ongoing investigation. On Mar. 31, Cruz and Cantwell issued a joint statement calling the Army’s refusal “completely unacceptable.”

The memo’s release followed Cruz’s threat to subpoena the Army. He has been vocal in criticizing the military’s ADS-B policies, particularly in the wake of the Jan. 29 collision. “It begs the question: what does not the Army want Congress and the American people to know about why it was flying partially blind?” Cruz said last week.

At the time of the accident, the Black Hawk was conducting a routine training mission without its ADS-B system activated. The commercial aircraft involved was an American Eagle Bombardier CRJ700 operated by American Airlines. While civilian aircraft are mandated to use ADS-B at all times, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has allowed military aircraft to disable ADS-B under limited circumstances since 2019.

The FAA has since mandated ADS-B usage for government-operated helicopters flying near Reagan National Airport, granting exceptions only for national security missions. However, it is unclear whether the mandate is retroactive or how enforcement will be implemented.

Airlines for America, an aviation advocacy group, has long called for mandatory ADS-B usage by all military aircraft operating near major airports. The group emphasized the technology’s role in mitigating midair collision risks by enhancing visibility for air traffic controllers and nearby pilots.

Senator Cruz has warned that continued lapses in ADS-B compliance could lead to further tragedies. “If civilians were to die in another collision between a passenger jet and a Black Hawk helicopter that was not using the safety system, those deaths will be on the Army’s hands,” he stated.