FBI, White House comment on series of 'mysterious UAVs' appearing in the US

The White House, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have said they have not found any evidence that the mysterious UAV drones in New Jersey pose a threat to national safety and security, despite concerns from many US lawmakers.

The FBI and DHS issued a joint statement on December 12 stating that "it appears that many of the reported sightings were actually manned aircraft operating legally and there have been no recorded or confirmed cases of UAVs entering restricted airspace," according to Reuters.

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White House spokesman John Kirby said federal agencies were investigating the incident in cooperation with local and New Jersey law enforcement. He said most incidents involved legally operating aircraft.

“While no malicious activity has been documented, the incidents reported there demonstrate a vacuum of authority,” Mr. Kirby said.

White House spokesman John Kirby at a press conference on December 12

Mr. Kirby reiterated the White House's call for Congress to pass legislation that would expand the ability of authorities to identify and counter UAVs that pose a threat to airports or other critical infrastructure.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that they began receiving reports of UAV activity near Morris County, New Jersey, on November 18.

The Pentagon said an initial assessment showed the UAVs were not from another country and the military did not shoot them down because they did not pose a threat to military facilities.

Asked whether President Joe Biden's administration would consider banning the use of UAVs in US airspace, Kirby said "I don't know that we're at that stage of considering that policy option."

CNN quoted Mayor Tony Perry of Middletown, New Jersey, as saying that more than 40 UAVs have appeared in the town in the past week. He said the UAVs are the size of sport utility vehicles (SUVs) flying at speeds of up to 110 km/h.

"I don't know how anyone can just sit there and say there's not an imminent threat. I don't think the federal government has taken this seriously enough," he said.

On December 11, senators representing New Jersey and New York sent letters to the heads of the FBI, DHS and FAA asking for information on how the agencies are working to identify and resolve the cases.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/fbi-nha-trang-nhan-dinh-ve-loat-uav-bi-an-xuat-hien-o-my-185241213074631034.htm