In a press briefing on Wednesday, the Pentagon stated it has no proof that the mysterious drones which have been flying over New Jersey and different elements of the northeast U.S. in current weeks had been coming from a overseas entity, nor had been they U.S. navy drones. The feedback come a day after a U.S. Congressional listening to targeted on the rising drone exercise, the place a number of Capital Hill lawmakers expressed frustration with the lack of expertise and response to the drone incursions.
The FBI instructed lawmakers throughout Tuesday’s listening to that it’s working with state and native authorities to analyze the scenario and had acquired north of three,000 reviews of sightings from the general public. However, it didn’t but know who was accountable. Of notice, a senior FBI official revealed that the group’s price range for counter-drone exercise was solely round $500,000.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration had banned drone flights in elements of New Jersey again in November, on account of drones flying over the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster and the Picatinny Arsenal navy analysis and manufacturing facility in Morris County, based on press reviews on the time.
Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh shared extra in regards to the drones in a briefing on Wednesday, the place she defined that the drones weren’t probably from a overseas adversary.
“At this time, we have no evidence that these activities are coming from a foreign adversary. We’re going to continue to monitor what is happening but, at no point were our installations threatened when this activity was occurring,” she stated.
When requested if she may rule out whether or not these had been American drones, she responded, “These are not U.S. military drones.” She once more reiterated that the preliminary evaluation signifies the drones should not coming from a overseas entity or adversary. Singh additionally shot down a concept raised by Rep. Jefferson Van Drew (R-NJ) who claimed the drones had been being launched by an Iranian “mothership” off the coast of the U.S.
“There is not any truth to that. There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States and there’s no so-called ‘mothership’ launching drones towards the United States,” Singh stated.
What the listening to didn’t reveal, nevertheless, is who’s behind the drones, which have frightened native residents and even as soon as prevented a medevac helicopter from with the ability to take an injured automotive crash sufferer to a NJ space hospital.
In addition to issues over overseas threats, theories about what the drones are have ranged from them being part of a secret navy program identified to few to UAPs (UFOs). The Pentagon now has to recurrently examine the latter, significantly as the buyer and industrial use of drones has elevated.
The investigation can also reveal that a few of the reported sightings may very well be drones or “small airplanes,” Singh stated.
