On NewsNation's “Cuomo” broadcast Friday, Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee, said, “I have no objection to drones flying over or near military installations. I have no doubts or objections.” “We acknowledge that there have been numerous drone sightings, particularly visual sightings over Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey,” he said in a non-classified briefing Thursday.
“I've never heard the Department of Defense or anyone say they can't substantiate that,” Smith said. The content includes numerous sightings of drones, particularly visual sightings over the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey. They also said they had received a number of reports that turned out to be manned aircraft rather than unmanned aircraft. There is certainly no question or dispute that drones are flying over New Jersey and near military installations. …There is no evidence that they are coming from any particular foreign threat. But we don't know because we don't know. So we can say that clearly, but we should say that clearly. Not.”
Mr Smith added that although drones cannot be tracked by radar, so they are difficult to track, there are systems that are good at detecting drones and that they may need to be considered for deployment.
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