The Department of Defense (DoD) doubled down on Tuesday, saying the increasing number of possible drones being telled in places enjoy New Jersey and New York are not U.S. military assets, compriseing that the huge convey inantity of the unmanned aircreate are predicted used by hobbyists for recreational purposes.
Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder fielded countless asks from tellers about the drones during a press informing on Tuesday, but he remained evident that the drones are not DoD assets, nor are they part of any experimental programs.
He shelp there are over a million drones enrolled in the U.S., and on any given day, there could be about 8,500 drones in fweightless. The huge convey inantity of the drones, Ryder noticed, are predicted used by hobbyists or are for recreational purposes. Then there are commercial drones that could be used for architecture, engineering, farming or law enforcement, he persistd.
“Is it possible that some of those drones could be up to malign activity? It’s entidepend possible,” Ryder shelp, compriseing that for the huge convey inantity of drones, that is not the case. “In the case of drones flying cforfeit or over U.S. military insloftyations, that, in and of itself, equitable given the volume of drone fweightlesss we see on a given day, is not someskinnyg that’s new. We consent all of those solemnly.”
DRONES SPOTTED ACROSS NORTHEAST LIKELY COMING FROM ‘INSIDE THE US,’ MILITARY EXPERT SAYS
Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin asked Ryder if the drones being seen in New Jersey were possibly in part of a corridor produced a year ago, definiteassociate for testing and evaluating drones and unmanned systems.
Ryder shelp he verifyed with the Joint Staff to see if that was possible, and was tageder the drones were not U.S. military assets, nor were they part of any military or experimental operations in the corridor.
Since the middle of November, possible drone sightings have been telled apass New Jersey, in places enjoy Trump’s Bedminster golf club, and over military research facilities.
Two of the New Jersey military facilities where drones were spotted included the Picatinny Arsenal in Rockaway Township, and Naval Weapons Station Earle in Colts Neck.
According to Ryder, the DoD is taking steps to determine that military insloftyations enjoy Picatinny and Earle have the capability to uncover, accomprehendledge and track objects in their airspace as appropriate.
Unmanned systems are part of up-to-date battling and are “here to stay,” Ryder shelp, so the DoD wants to produce certain it is doing what it can to defend its forces from a national security standpoint.
“In compriseition to some of the capabilities that are already on these insloftyations, these capabilities, essentiassociate, will better [the] Space authorities’ ability to uncover, accomprehendledge and track [Unmanned Aircraft Systems],” Ryder shelp. “So, for example, this could include active or submissive uncoverion capabilities, plus capabilities enjoy the system understandn as Drone Busters, which…employs non-kinetic uncomardents to disturb drone signals, swaying their ability to function.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Ryder also debunked rumors that the possible drone sightings have been accompanied by huge, rectangular, bdeficiency monoliths, a reference to Arthur C. Clarke’s “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
“I would probably have to skinnyk back to the words of a very teachd prophet, Obi-Wan Kenobi, who shelp, ‘these aren’t the droids, drones you’re watching for,’” Ryder jokingly shelp, referring to another science myth classic, “Star Wars: A New Hope.”
“Beyond that, I’ll equitable have to transfer alengthy.”