For weeks, drones have been spotted in American skies near sensitive sites. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said: “The Joe Biden administration must take action by directing additional federal law enforcement agencies to New York and surrounding areas to ensure the safety of our critical infrastructure and our people.” New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy also called on Washington authorities on Saturday to investigate suspicious vehicle activity.
Stewart International Airport, about 60 miles from New York, closed its runway for an hour Friday night after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported sightings of a drone there.
“This has gone too far,” New York Gov. Cathy Hochul said, calling on the state's intelligence agency to investigate what happened. He also called on Congress to pass legislation that would strengthen the FAA's oversight of drones and give state and local law enforcement more authority to monitor them.
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Lotnisko Stewart International Airport Facebook/New York Stewart International Airport
“Until these powers are granted, the Biden administration must take action by directing federal law enforcement agencies to New York and surrounding areas to ensure the safety of our critical infrastructure and our people,” Hochul said, as quoted by ABC brought
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy expressed surprise Saturday that the federal government doesn't seem to know much about what's flying over his state.
Mysterious drones in American skies
Reports have been published in American media that drones have been spotted near sensitive facilities, including military bases. The FAA has issued two temporary flight restrictions banning drone activity over Picatinny Arsenal and Donald Trump's golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Drone-like object over Bernardsville, New Jersey Brian Glenn/TMX/AP/CNN
An FBI official said that of the nearly 5,000 reports he received, fewer than 100 contained credible information that would warrant further investigation. An FAA official admitted that there is “no doubt” that drones were flying over New Jersey. He noted that there are almost a million drones registered in the US.
In turn, according to a representative of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, “highly qualified security personnel” reported visual sightings of drones near the Picatinny Arsenal and the Earl Naval Weapons Station in New Jersey. He does not believe the flights “were linked to a foreign entity and had malicious intent.”
Mysterious “drones” in American skies. Conspiracy theories and questions about security abound Anna Czerwinska/Fakty TVN
The position of the White House
NBC quoted the White House as saying that “there is currently no evidence that the reported sightings indicate a threat to national or public security or foreign communications.”
An FAA official noted that in most locations it is legal to operate a drone during the day or night, as long as the drone is below 400 feet (122 m), remains within the operator's line of sight and does not pose a threat to human safety. , ownership or violation of airspace regulations.
Image credit: Brian Glenn/TMX/AP/CNN
