Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has requested that a drone detection system be sent to New York and New Jersey after a series of mysterious drones disrupted the skies in recent weeks, even prompting a temporary shutdown at an airport over the weekend.
Schumer made the request to the Department of Homeland Security on Sunday, two days after New York Stewart International Airport closed because of multiple drone sightings near it. He pushed for the Robin Radar Systems for their “360-degree technology,” which he said has a better chance of detecting the drones compared with linear systems.
The unidentified drones have been spotted across the Northeast, significant number of them above New Jersey.
Schumer told reporters that it’s “remarkable” that despite the volume of sightings, “we have more questions than answers.”
“Some of the drones are small. Some of the drones flight patterns are erratic,” Schumer said. “Multiple drones flying together can confuse a traditional radar system, and that’s why, again, this new technology can really get us the answers that we need.”
Friday’s airport shutdown prompted New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to call for federal assistance. She said Sunday the drone detection system isn’t enough.
“I am grateful for the support, but we need more,” Hochul wrote on X. “Congress must pass a law that will give 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 authority to counter drone activity.
Currently, only federal agencies have legal authority to detect drones, Schumer noted. He said he, too, would be pushing legislation to broaden the rights for state and local law enforcement agencies to be able to use software to detect the unmanned aerial devices.
There is no drone registration system, making it very difficult to track who is responsible for the drones.
“No one thinks they’re from a foreign government, and no one thinks they’re doing harm right now by tracking the patterns,” Schumer said. “But we certainly want to first get the answers to the questions, and then we’ll take further action.”
The FBI has opened an investigation and has deployed visual observation teams throughout New Jersey, a senior National Security Council official said.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Sunday morning in an interview on ABC News’ “This Week” that he had spotted drones over his own home. He criticized authorities for failing to answer questions about the unusual development as misinformation filled the vacuum.
He specifically referred to Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., who falsely told Fox News that the drones were coming from an Iranian “mothership” off the East Coast. The Defense Department denied the claim.
“You can’t have conspiracy theorists filling the space,” Christie said. “But the Biden administration and state authorities have to be more vocal and let people know exactly what they’re doing.”