The Department of Defense (DoD) doubled down on Tuesday, saying the increasing number of possible drones being reported in places like New Jersey and New York are not U.S. military assets, adding that the vast majority of the unmanned aircraft are likely used by hobbyists for recreational purposes.
Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder fielded numerous questions from reporters about the drones during a press briefing on Tuesday, but he remained clear that the drones are not DoD assets, nor are they part of any experimental programs.
He said there are over a million drones registered in the U.S., and on any given day, there could be about 8,500 drones in flight. The vast majority of the drones, Ryder noted, are likely 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 continued.
“Is it possible that some of those drones could be up to malign activity? It’s entirely possible,” Ryder said, adding that for the vast majority of drones, that is not the case. “In the case of drones flying near or over U.S. military installations, that, in and of itself, just given the volume of drone flights we see on a given day, is not something that’s new. We take all of those seriously.”
The Pentagon doubled down Tuesday, saying the possible drones being sighted over New Jersey are not U.S. military assets. (Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images; Doug Hood/Asbury Park Press)
“In addition to some of the capabilities that are already on these installations, these capabilities, essentially, will enhance [the] Space authorities’ ability to detect, identify and track [Unmanned Aircraft Systems],” Ryder said. “So, for example, this could include active or passive detection capabilities, plus capabilities like the system known as Drone Busters, which…employs non-kinetic means to interrupt drone signals, affecting their ability to operate.”
Ryder also debunked rumors that the possible drone sightings have been accompanied by large, rectangular, black monoliths, a reference to Arthur C. Clarke’s “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
“I would probably have to think back to the words of a very wise prophet, Obi-Wan Kenobi, who said, ‘these aren’t the droids, drones you’re looking for,’” Ryder jokingly said, referring to another science fiction classic, “Star Wars: A New Hope.”
“Beyond that, I’ll just have to move along.”
