(NewsNation) — U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., criticized White House spokesperson John Kirby’s statement downplaying drone sightings across the Northeast as “not a national security concern.”
“I think it’s very misleading, at best,” Smith said during an appearance on “The Hill on NewsNation,” adding that he has heard directly from people in the Coast Guard and U.S. Navy who have spotted drones. “If he (Kirby) knows something, he should say. … Many, many law enforcement people have seen it.”
Schumer calls for ‘special drone-detection tech’
Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has pleaded for federal officials to launch a declassified special drone detection system called “ROBIN,” a 360-degree technology, across New York, New Jersey and the metro area.
“We’re asking The Department of Homeland Security to deploy special detection systems like the Robin, which use not a linear line of sight, but 360-degree technology that has a much better chance of detecting these drones,” Schumer said. “We’re asking DHS to bring them to the New York and New Jersey area.”
New Jersey drones not national security risk: White House
The White House on Monday said the drones that have been spotted in the Northeast are not a national security or public safety risk, just after President-elect Donald Trump questioned why officials have not been more forthcoming about the situation.
“Having closely examined the data, having looked at the tips and collating them as best we can from concerned citizens, we assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones and law enforcement drones, as well as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and even stars that were mistakenly reported as drones” Kirby told reporters.
Drone detection technology should be ‘widely deployed’: Expert
Drone detection technology should be “widely deployed” across the Northeast, according to a counter-drone tech startup founder.
Joel Anderson, founder and CEO of defense product company ZeroMark, explained on “Elizabeth Vargas Reports” how ROBIN could track any unidentified objects in the sky.
“It means a single antenna can scan all directions around it to find drones in the sky and identify them, potentially link them to remote operators, as well,” Anderson said.
