New Jersey officials have maintained that sightings of SUV-sized drones in recent weeks do not pose a threat to public safety, but military analysts say the lack of clear answers from the government is a bigger threat. states that it indicates a problem.
These large drones, along with smaller, more quickly maneuverable drones similar to so-called “drone motherships” deployed in Ukraine, Russia, and China, will be deployed in the Garden State, according to FOX News contributor Brett Velikovich. It has been seen in the sky above. The mothership launches small drones, but the drones lack the ranging antennas needed to carry them over long distances. Velikovich said this suggests a foreign enemy may be operating in New Jersey.
The Jersey sightings are similar to SPV drones, which Ukraine uses for about 70 to 80 percent of its frontline attacks, Velikovich said. RPG weapons such as mortars and grenades are mounted on fast-moving SPV drones.
“It doesn't matter if the drones don't have exploding bombs on board; the damage these can cause from a collection standpoint can set countries back years,” said former special operations intelligence. said Veljkovic, an analyst and drone expert. he told FOX News Digital. He explained that drones can be equipped with various sensors to detect mobile phone coverage, IP addresses, different frequencies in the air, and nuclear radiation.
Mysterious drone sightings continue to be reported in New Jersey
New Jersey Drone Sightings Map (Fox & Friends/Screenshot)
“all “Drones have to fly over sensitive locations and may be collecting information that can be immediately sent back to foreign adversaries,” Veljković said. It will come back very quickly. Frankly, the damage is already done.. ”
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, who has met with officials from the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Secret Service and state police in recent days, told Fox News on Monday that he saw no evidence of public safety concerns. He said he could not.
Murphy said the drone seen in New Jersey was “very sophisticated” in nature, telling reporters: “The minute it hits you, it goes black.” The governor acknowledged concerns Monday about sensitive targets and critical infrastructure. One of President-elect Trump's homes is located in the state, as well as military assets and public facilities.
Murphy said there were 49 reported sightings on Sunday night alone, and while that may be an exaggeration, “this doesn't give us much insight into where they're coming from and why they're behaving the way they do. It's really frustrating that we can't get any more answers.” I'm doing it. ”
“This is not zero,” Murphy said. “I was literally at the top most of the day yesterday with leadership at the White House and the Department of Homeland Security. I hope we get answers sooner rather than later.” Ta. “We ask everyone to keep the FBI and local law enforcement informed of anything they see. We remain committed to working with our federal partners to get clearer answers. .”
Velikovich claimed that officials at DHS, the FBI, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and others “have no idea what it takes to actually protect ourselves from the real drone threat to the United States.” .
“If drones are already able to fly over these sensitive locations and collect this information, then we have an even bigger problem. And what exactly does drone technology do? “I think there is a lack of awareness on the part of government officials about what can be done,” he said. . “So if this is a foreign enemy, I liken it to a Chinese spy balloon, where for a long time this object sits there and just listens, collects data, gathers intelligence. And the reality is, we probably won't actually know what we're collecting until it's too late.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy asks federal government for help amid 'very sophisticated' drone sightings: 'We need more'
The origins of the drone sightings have not been determined, and the possibility that they were the work of a foreign enemy remains, but Ken Gray, a former FBI agent and military drone expert, told FOX News Digital. , said it is also possible that utility companies using drones were involved. The Forest Service may check trees for possible encroachment or agricultural activity at night to check for frayed power lines.
The drone was spotted over North Jersey on Tuesday. (Nicholas Lordi)
Although further investigation is needed, Gray argued that the size of the aircraft seen over New Jersey indicates it is unlikely there was a hobbyist behind it.
“You can't just shoot down a drone because you don't know where it's coming from, so the fact that no one has shot down a drone is a good thing,” Gray said. “It's a very, very risky step to do that at this point. Instead, we need to identify its source and collection and find out who is operating it.”
New Jersey is located along the East Coast, as is Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, where 17 unmanned vehicles entered restricted airspace last December. The Pentagon this week announced a new counter-drone strategy following a spate of drone intrusions near U.S. military bases, including in the United Kingdom, but made no mention of the ongoing FBI-led investigation into what was happening in New Jersey. There wasn't.
Veljkovic and Gray both said that outsourcing drone manufacturing to China poses a national security risk.
Since most drones are manufactured by the Chinese technology company DJI, there are concerns that the data and images collected could be sent to China as surveillance, Gray said.
Gray noted the successful use by the Ukrainian military of drones, once a “hobbyist”, as a weapons platform to fly at Russian military vehicles and effectively blow them up, adding that the technology is becoming more popular domestically. There is also a real risk that the virus could spread to other areas, he said.
“As far as local law enforcement is concerned, right now if a drone is being used as a weapon system, local law enforcement does not have the capability to respond to that threat,” Gray said. “Most police forces rely on shotguns rather than other weapon systems to try to subdue them.”
The U.S. Secret Service has anti-drone capabilities, as does the U.S. Navy, but most local law enforcement agencies do not, Gray said.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Veljkovic said the Secret Service did not activate its anti-drone system ahead of the July 13 assassination attempt on President Trump, even though it had the technology, leaving the agency with a major catch-up. argued that it was necessary.
“The writing on the wall is that drone technology can be used in the wrong way, it can cause us great harm, and we have yet to properly fund it. “We're not bringing in real experts who are dealing with this problem every day at our level of government,” Veljković said. “We're years behind China. We're years behind Russia. Many other countries realize how valuable that technology is.”
