Government agencies issued a joint statement on Monday regarding the ongoing investigation into the mysterious drone sightings reported across the country, especially in New Jersey and the Mid-Atlantic region, in recent weeks.
In the statement from the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense, the agencies said they “recognize the concern” but that there is no evidence the drones are “abnormal” or pose a threat for the future. national security or public safety.
The FBI has received more than 5,000 reports of alleged drone sightings in recent weeks, yielding approximately 100 leads, according to the statement.
Advanced detection technology and trained visual observers were deployed to the northeastern states to assist local and national authorities in the investigation.
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The four agencies said the reported drone sightings in New Jersey (pictured above) and other states across the country do not pose a risk to national security or public safety. (Nicholas Lordi)
“After carefully examining technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we have concluded that sightings to date include a combination of legal commercial drones, hobbyist drones and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and wrongly stars. reported as drones,” the report said.
While the agencies said they have not found any risk in their investigation so far, they did insist on it Congress to legislate when it returns, that would “expand and expand existing anti-drone authorities to identify and mitigate any threat that may arise.”
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The agencies briefly addressed drone sightings over military facilities in New Jersey and elsewhere, including within restricted airspace, but said they are “not new.”
A map showing recent drone sightings in Monmouth County, New Jersey, home of Naval Weapons Station Earle. (Courtesy of Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office)
“DoD takes unauthorized access to its airspace seriously and coordinates closely with federal, state and local law enforcement authorities as appropriate,” the statement said. “Local commanders are actively involved to ensure appropriate detection and mitigation measures are taken.”
Public News founder Michael Shellenberger responded to the statement about
“Three days ago, Biden officials emphatically emphasized that drones have not entered restricted airspaces,” he wrote. “Now the Biden administration (DHS) is admitting that there have been drone incursions over military bases – in a casual, ‘no big deal’ way. Certainly.”
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There are more than one one million drones legally registered in the U.S., according to the statement, and thousands of them fly “on any given day” for commercial, hobbyist or law enforcement purposes.
“As the technology landscape evolves, we expect this number to increase over time,” the statement said.
The DHS, FBI, FAA and DoD said they will continue to support law enforcement agencies in investigating drone sightings in the future.
