‘Gone too far’: US officials trying to crack drone mystery

Washington is deploying a ‘state-of-the-art drone detection system’ to New York amid a surge in the unmanned aircraft in the skies over New Jersey and parts of the East Coast.

There is “no question” that drones along the US East Coast are sparking concern, but who is sending them and why remains a mystery, the head of Homeland Security said Sunday.

The federal government is taking action to address the recent surge in drones dotting the skies over New Jersey and parts of the East Coast, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told ABC News in a segment on “This Week.”

“I want to assure the American public that we in the federal government have deployed additional resources, personnel, technology to assist the New Jersey State Police in addressing the drone sightings,” Mr Mayorkas said.

The federal government is also deploying a “state-of-the-art drone detection system” to New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Sunday. It is intended to assist state and federal law enforcement in ongoing investigations, she said.

A day earlier, Ms Hochul joined a list of other politicians calling on the Biden administration to do more to investigate the puzzling surge in drones.

“This has gone too far,” Hochul said at the time, adding that runways at Stewart International Airport, about 96km north of New York City, had to shut down for about an hour Friday night because of drone activity.

US Rep. Jim Himes, who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, said the federal government should do more, even though there is no reason to believe the drone activity is linked to foreign espionage efforts or criminal activity.

“It is not the Iranians, it is not the Chinese, they aren’t Martians,” Himes said Sunday during an appearance on Fox News.

“I can say that because I spent all my time as the ranking member of the Intelligence Committee watching what the Iranians and the Chinese do,” he said. “What they don’t do is put a bunch of drones that we could easily recover over the continental United States.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Homeland Security have sought to reassure the public that the drone activity is likely harmless. There is no evidence of a national security or public safety threat, the agencies said in a joint statement.

“Historically, we have experienced cases of mistaken identity, where reported drones are, in fact, manned aircraft or facilities,” the statement said. “Upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully. There are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space.” It is legal to fly a drone in most locations below 400 feet, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Recreational flyers need to take a basic safety knowledge test and follow simple rules, such as avoiding controlled airspaces around airports and other aircraft. In some places, such as New York City, a permit is required. To fly at night, an operator must have a drone pilot certificate and the drone must be equipped with specific lights.

Although the FAA requires prior authorisation to fly near an airport, not all drone operators follow the rules. The Boston Police Department on Saturday arrested two individuals for operating a drone near Logan Airport. They face charges of trespassing, and additional fines or charges may be added, authorities said.

Dow Jones