The FBI stated they have received tips of more than 5,000 reported drone sightings in the past several weeks with approximately 100 leads generated, and the federal government is supporting state and local officials in investigating these reports in a Dec. 16 press release.
There are more than one million drones lawfully registered with the Federal Aviation Administration in the U.S. and there are thousands of commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones lawfully in the sky on any given day. With the technology landscape evolving, that number is expected to increase over time.
The FBI has assessed that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones. There have been no anomalous identifications and they stated they do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast.
However, the statement also recognizes the concern among many communities. The FBI along with the FAA, Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Department of Defense will continue to support state and local authorities with advanced detection technology and support of law enforcement. The groups will also urge Congress to enact counter-UAS legislation when it reconvenes that would extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities to identify and mitigate any threat that may emerge.
Additionally, there have been a limited number of visual sightings of drones over military facilities in New Jersey and elsewhere, including within restricted air space. Such sightings near or over DoD installations are not new, but the DoD takes unauthorized access over its airspace seriously and coordinates closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities, as appropriate. Local commanders are actively engaged to ensure there are appropriate detection and mitigation measures in place.
