Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has called for a drone detection system to be sent to New York and New Jersey after a series of mysterious drones disrupted airspace in recent weeks and even led to a temporary airport closure led during the weekend. .
Schumer submitted the request to the Department of Homeland Security on Sunday, two days after New York’s Stewart International Airport was closed due to multiple drone sightings in the area. He pushed for Robin Radar Systems for its ‘360-degree technology’, which has a better chance of detecting the drones compared to linear systems.
The unidentified drones have been spotted in the Northeast, although a significant number have been reported over New Jersey.
On December 5, multiple drones are seen flying over Bernardsville, NJ.
Schumer told reporters that it is “remarkable” that despite the large number of sightings, “we have more questions than answers.”
“Some drones are small, some drone flight patterns are erratic,” Schumer said. “Multiple drones flying together can confuse a traditional radar system, so this new technology can really give us the answers we need.”
The airport closure on Friday prompted New York Governor Kathy Hochul to call for federal help, but on Sunday she said the drone detection system is not enough.
“I’m grateful for the support, but we need more,” Hochul wrote. “Congress should pass a law that gives us the power to deal directly with the drones.”
Hochul said the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act would strengthen the Federal Aviation Administration’s oversight of drones while giving state and local law enforcement agencies the authority to counter drone activity.
Currently, only federal agencies have the legal authority to detect drones, Schumer noted. The Senate’s top leader said he, too, would push legislation to broaden the rights for state and local law enforcement to use software to detect these unmanned aerial vehicles.
There is no drone registration system, which makes it extremely difficult to find out who is responsible for the drones.
Detective Anthony D’Amico of the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office launches a surveillance drone near the beach in Seaside Heights, NJ, on Friday.
“No one thinks they’re from a foreign government, and no one thinks they’re doing any harm right now by following the patterns,” Schumer said. “But we certainly want to get the answers to the questions first, and then we will take further action.”
The FBI has opened an investigation into the matter and deployed visual surveillance teams to several locations in New Jersey, a senior administration official at the National Security Council said.
Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie noted that he saw drones over his own home Sunday morning during an interview on ABC’s “This Week.” He criticized authorities for not answering questions about the unusual development, saying misinformation filled the vacuum.
He specifically referenced Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., who falsely told Fox News that the drones came from an Iranian “mothership” off the East Coast. The Ministry of Defense has denied the claim.
“You can’t have conspiracy theorists filling the space,” Christie said. “But the Biden administration and state authorities need to be louder and let people know exactly what they are doing.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
