US Drone Sightings Provoke Reactions From New Jersey Legislature, Federal Government

On Thursday New Jersey lawmakers passed a resolution 'calling on the federal government to conduct a 'rigorous and ongoing' investigation into the drone sightings in the state,' reports the Associated Press:

Meanwhile, federal and local authorities are warning against pointing lasers at suspected drones, because aircraft pilots are being hit in the eyes more often. Authorities also said they are concerned people might fire weapons at manned aircraft that they have mistaken for drones...

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said Monday that the federal government has yet to identify any public safety or national security risks. 'There are more than 1 million drones that are lawfully registered with the Federal Aviation Administration here in the United States,' Kirby said. 'And there are thousands of commercial, hobbyist and law enforcement drones that are lawfully in the sky on any given day. That is the ecosystem that we are dealing with.' The federal government has deployed personnel and advanced technology to investigate the reports in New Jersey and other states, and is evaluating each tip reported by citizens, he said. About 100 of the more than 5,000 drone sightings reported to the FBI in recent weeks were deemed credible enough to warrant more investigation, according to a joint statement by the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Defense.

Speculation has raged online, with some expressing concerns the drones could be part of a nefarious plot by foreign agents or clandestine operations by the U.S. government. Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said it's unlikely the drones are engaged in intelligence gathering, given how loud and bright they are. He repeated Tuesday that the drones being reported are not being operated by the Department of Defense. Asked whether military contractors might be operating drones in the New Jersey area, Ryder rebuffed the notion, saying there are 'no military operations, no military drone or experiment operations in this corridor.' Ryder said additional drone-detecting technology was being moved to some military installations, including the Picatinny Arsenal...

U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, a New Jersey Democrat, said he has heard nothing to support the notion that the government is hiding anything. He said a lack of faith in institutions is playing a key part in the saga.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.