Amid recent reports of mysterious drone sightings over sensitive areas in New Jersey and other parts of the Mid-Atlantic region in the US, the Defence Department said it is taking every report of drone sightings seriously and is working with the White House, the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Aviation Administration to examine them and assess the situation.
Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder pointed out that there are over a million drones registered in the US, and on any day, approximately 8,500 drones are in flight.
According to him, while a vast majority of these drones are recreational, or used for purposes like architecture, engineering, farming, or belonging to law enforcement, it is possible that some of the drones could be into "malign activities". General Ryder said unmanned systems are here to stay and added that they have become part of modern warfare.
He noted that drones flying near or over US military installations is not something new, and said all such sightings are taken seriously. "Typically, when we detect them, we attempt to classify them and take appropriate measures. Is it possible that some of those are surveillance? Absolutely. Can you make that assumption in every case? Not necessarily so."
The Department of Defence will be sending Picatinny Arsenal and Naval Weapons Station Earle in New Jersey to better enable the installations to detect, track, and monitor drone activities.
