Federal officials are set to deploy a high-tech drone detection system to New York State as swarms of unidentified flying objects popping up in the tri-state area continue to leave experts perplexed.
The new system will help state and local law enforcement in their investigation into the mysterious drones that have been spotted flickering across the night sky over the past month, Gov. Kathy Hochul said Sunday.
“In response to my calls for additional resources, our federal partners are deploying a state-of-the-art drone detection system to New York State,” Hochul said.
Despite the boost, Hochul said additional support was needed from Congress to help provide greater resources.
“We are grateful to the Biden Administration for their support, but ultimately we need further assistance from Congress. Passing the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act will give New York and our peers the authority and resources required to respond to circumstances like we face today,” she said.
Mysterious drones have been jetting over the East Coast, zeroing in primarily on New Jersey, for weeks now — with at least 3,000 sightings reported in the Garden State so far in December alone, though reports have been flooding in since Nov. 18.
Local and state officials in New Jersey have been up in arms the past week after the Biden administration’s national security adviser brushed off the saga, claiming the unusual objects are planes or helicopters that people are simply mistaking for drones.
While drone experts warn the flying objects may be coming from an adversary or Iranian mothership, the Pentagon has denied these claims, and authorities have stated that there is no known threat as a result of their presence.