Federal and military officials have announced that mysterious drone sightings reported along the East Coast are not indicative of any malicious activity, nor do they pose a threat to public safety. The announcement, issued Monday night, is a joint statement from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Department of Defense (DOD).
“Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones,” the Biden government statement reads, adding: “We have not identified anything anomalous and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast.”
Currently, America hosts over a million registered drones, and thousands of them are operated daily. This number is expected to rise. The FBI alone received over 5,000 reports recently, leading to approximately 100 investigative leads. Although drone sightings near military sites are noted, they emphasize that it is not uncommon and the Department of Defense is vigilant, working with law enforcement as necessary. Local military commanders are also actively ensuring adequate detection and mitigation resources.
Officials further proposed that Congress should consider advancing counter-UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) ;egislation to better address future threats. This proposed legislation aims to provide broader authority to identify and respond to possible drone-related threats.
