A U.S. senator from Connecticut said a mysterious drone recently spotted flying over the mid-Atlantic state should be “shot down if necessary.”
In an interview on Capitol Hill Thursday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said intelligence analysis about drones is needed and the U.S. needs to act “more aggressively” on reported sightings. He said there is.
“We should do some very smart intelligence analysis and get them out of the sky, especially if they're flying over airports or military bases,” the senator said. “It is flying over sensitive areas and should be shot down if necessary.”
Blumenthal also said the lack of information about the drones, who they belong to and where they came from is “absolutely unacceptable.”
His comments come amid reports of a number of large drones flying over New Jersey in the past few weeks.
A drone was also reportedly seen for the first time in Blumenthal on Thursday.
White House national security communications adviser John Kirby said Thursday that many of the drones allegedly discovered in recent days are actually legally operating manned aircraft.
“There is currently no evidence that the reported drone sightings pose a threat to national security or public safety or have any foreign ties,” Kirby told reporters at the daily White House briefing. ” he said. “The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and FBI are investigating these sightings, working closely with state and local law enforcement agencies and using a variety of detection methods to better understand their origins. and provide resources.”
Mr Kirby also said the investigation into the drone allegations so far had not revealed any “national security, malicious or criminal activity”, but acknowledged the government was in the early stages of investigating.
Blumenthal said that a briefing on drones is “absolutely necessary” for Congress and the American people, as many people appear concerned and fearful, adding that his office is holding a briefing on drones. He said he was looking for.
“We're hearing from voters in metropolitan areas around New York, Connecticut and New Jersey that they're really scared of unidentified drones flying over airports and military bases,” he said.
The senator added that drones cause “a level of fear, even fear,” as people worry about surveillance and planes flying in the same airspace.
He also encouraged Americans who want to use drones to buy U.S.-made rather than Chinese-made drones, and warned that drones could become “a source of surveillance data for other types of security threats.” I warned you that it's sexual.
“Chinese drones actually exist” [a] It's a threat to the security of this country,” Blumenthal said. “We have to stop using them.”
