US officials are deploying a drone detection system to New York, Governor Kathy Hochul announced on Sunday, amid growing concerns over mysterious objects spotted in the skies along the east coast and beyond. The move comes after drone sightings forced the closure of runways at Stewart International Airport in New York for an hour last week, prompting Hochul to request federal assistance.
“In response to my calls for additional resources, our federal partners are sending a drone detection system to New York,” Hochul wrote on X. She emphasized the need for state governments to have more authority to deal with the small, uncrewed aircraft, which have also been reported in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.
The issue has also affected Ohio, where drone sightings led to the closure of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base for about an hour on Friday night, according to local media. Hochul reiterated her commitment to ensuring public safety, saying, “Congress must pass a law that will give us the power to deal directly with the drones.”
Senator Chuck Schumer expressed support for a bill that would grant local law enforcement more power to investigate unidentified flying objects. “I’m pushing for answers amid these drone sightings,” he said, also requesting a drone detection system for New Jersey, where most of the aerial encounters have been reported.
New Jersey Senator Andy Kim, who observed the night sky with local residents over the weekend, suggested that most of the aircraft spotted were likely planes, based on conversations with civilian pilots and flight tracking data. Despite calls for more help, officials have sought to reassure the public that the suspected drones do not pose a national security threat.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas confirmed that the sightings included drones and manned aircraft commonly mistaken for drones. He stated that there was “no foreign involvement” related to the sightings and attributed the uptick in drone reports to a change in federal regulations allowing drones to be flown at night.
The federal government is working in “close co-ordination” with state and local authorities on the issue, Mayorkas said, emphasizing the need for them to be given the ability to counter drone activity under federal supervision. With the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump just over a month away, his pick for national security adviser, Republican Representative Mike Waltz, criticized the Biden administration’s response to the sightings.
“I think Americans are finding it hard to believe we can’t figure out where these are coming from,” Waltz told CBS. “We need to get to the bottom of it,” he said, accusing government agencies of “pointing at each other” rather than offering answers. Senator Kim also called on federal authorities to do more to address public concerns, saying, “People have a lot of anxiety right now… And too often we find that those charged with working on these issues don’t engage the public with the respect and depth needed.”
