New York Senator Chuck Schumer and Governor Kathy Hochul advocate for enhanced UAV capabilities
Top U.S. officials are urging for increased authority and advanced detection technology to address the rising number of unidentified drones observed along the East Coast. Numerous sightings have been reported across several states, including New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, according to U.S. media outlets. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer voiced his concern over the lack of information regarding these drones, despite their significant numbers. He stated, “If the technology exists for a drone to take flight, then surely technology exists to precisely track these craft and determine what is happening.”
Schumer has requested that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) deploy a specific system developed by Robin Radar Systems, a recently declassified piece of equipment, to help provide answers. He also pushed for support of a Senate bill, introduced earlier this year, which would allow state and local authorities to utilize counter-drone technology currently restricted to federal agencies.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul echoed these calls, advocating for greater federal resources and promoting a separate bill that would extend and broaden federal powers to respond to unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). She stated that the House bill “will provide New York and other states the authority and resources needed to handle situations such as the one we face today.”
High-ranking officials from the FBI and the Department of Justice (DOJ) voiced their support for this proposal at a House Committee on Homeland Security hearing on Tuesday. Robert W. Wheeler Jr., the FBI’s assistant director, stated that his agency strongly supports “expanded counter-UAS authorities for state, local, tribal, and territorial partners, as robustly and swiftly as possible.”
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has repeatedly assured the public that the drones do not present an immediate threat and appear to be domestically sourced. He told ABC News on Sunday, “Thousands of drones are flown daily in the U.S., for recreational and commercial purposes. Our current authorities are limited, and they are set to expire. We need to extend and expand them.”