The Department of Defense (Department of Defense) further emphasized on Tuesday that the growing number of possible unmanned aircraft reported in states such as New Jersey and New York are not U.S. military assets, adding that the majority of unmanned aircraft are He added that it was likely being used by hobbyists as a hobby. recreational purposes.
Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder answered a number of questions from reporters about the drones at a news conference Tuesday, but clarified that the drones are not Pentagon assets or part of any experimental program. .
He said there are more than 1 million registered drones in the United States, and there may be about 8,500 drones flying each day. Ryder noted that the majority of drones are likely being used by hobbyists or for recreational purposes. Additionally, there are commercial drones that can be used for architecture, engineering, agriculture, law enforcement, and more, he continued.
“Is it possible that some of these drones are doing malicious activity? It's very possible,” Ryder said, adding that this is not the case for the vast majority of drones. “When it comes to drones flying near or over U.S. military installations, that in itself is not new given the amount of drone flights that day. We take all of that seriously.”
Drone spotted in northeast likely came from 'within the US', military expert says
Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder answered numerous questions from reporters about the drones Tuesday. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolfe)
FOX News' Jennifer Griffin says the drone seen in New Jersey may have been part of a corridor created a year ago specifically for testing and evaluating drones and unmanned systems. I asked Ryder if there was one.
Ryder said he checked with the Joint Chiefs of Staff to see if that was possible and was told the drones are not U.S. military assets and are not part of any military or experimental operations in the corridor.
Since mid-November, possible drone sightings have been reported across New Jersey, in locations such as Trump's Bedminster golf club, and over military research facilities.
More than 20 days after the incident, the Pentagon still has no answers about the origins of the mysterious New Jersey drone
On December 8th, what appears to be a large drone hovers at high altitude in the Bayshore area of Toms River, New Jersey. The drone appeared to be well above the 400-foot height allowed by FAA regulations. (Doug Hood/Asbury Park Press)
Two of the New Jersey military installations where drones have been seen are Picatinny Arsenal in Rockaway Township and Naval Weapons Station Earle in Colts Neck.
Ryder said the Pentagon is taking steps to ensure military installations like Picatinny and Earl have the ability to properly detect, identify and track objects within their airspace.
Unmanned systems are part of modern warfare and “are here to stay,” Ryder said. So the Department of Defense wants to make sure it's doing everything it can to protect the military from a national security perspective.
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The Pentagon further doubled down on Tuesday, saying a drone that may have been spotted over New Jersey is not a U.S. military asset. (Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images, Doug Hood/Asbury Park Press)
“In addition to some of the features that these installations already have, these features essentially include: [the] Detection, identification and tracking capabilities of space authorities [Unmanned Aircraft Systems]“So this could include, for example, features like a system known as a drone buster, in addition to active or passive detection capabilities. A drone buster uses non-dynamic means to detect drone signals. and affect the ability of the drone to operate.”
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Ryder also cited Arthur C. Clarke's “2001: A Space Odyssey'' to debunk rumors that possible drone sightings involve a large rectangular black monolith.
“Perhaps we should reflect on the words of Obi-Wan Kenobi, a very wise prophet: 'These are not the droids or drones you're looking for,'” Ryder joked in another. You mentioned science. A classic of fiction, Star Wars: A New Hope.
“Beyond that, I just have to move on.”
