New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has called for immediate federal action to deal with the numerous drone sightings in the New York Metro area following the Dec. 13 forced shutdown of the runways at New York Stewart International Airport at Newburgh.
The initial federal response came over the weekend. On Sunday, Dec. 15, Hochul reported, “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. This system will support state and federal law enforcement in their investigations. 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.”
Details of how the drone detection system works were not immediately made available.
A spokesperson for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey had told the Business Journal, “On December 13, at approximately 9:40 p.m., Stewart Airport temporarily closed its runways following a report from the FAA about a drone sighting at the airport. The runways were reopened at 10:45 p.m.”
The spokesperson said that flight operations at the airport were not impacted by the closure. In addition to having airline and general aviation activity, it hosts the Stewart Air National Guard Base, which is home to the 105th Airlift Wing. The FAA and FBI were looking into what happened.
On Dec. 14, Hochul issued a statement saying, “Last night, the runways at Stewart Airfield were shut down for approximately one hour due to drone activity in the airspace. This has gone too far.
“In mid-November, I directed the New York State Intelligence Center to actively investigate drone sightings and coordinate with federal law enforcement to address this issue, and those efforts are ongoing. But in order to allow state law enforcement to work on this issue, I am now calling on Congress to pass the Counter-UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act. This bill would reform legal authorities to counter-UAS and strengthen the FAA’s oversight of drones, and would extend counter-UAS activities to select state and local law enforcement agencies.
“Extending these powers to New York state and our peers is essential. Until those powers are granted to state and local officials, the Biden Administration must step in by directing additional federal law enforcement to New York and the surrounding region to ensure the safety of our critical infrastructure and our people.”
According to CNN Newsource, “federal agencies are facing intense pressure … to give the public more details on unexplained drone sightings in the New York City metropolitan area that have been going on for weeks over residential neighborhoods as well as restricted sites and critical infrastructure.”
On Dec. 13, Pennsylvania joined New York, New Jersey and Connecticut in reporting unexplained drone flights.
Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella said that drones have been spotted at night hovering over critical infrastructures including Port Liberty New York near the Goethals Bridge, the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge and Fort Wadsworth, one of the oldest military installations in the country.
The mayor of Belleville, New Jersey, had reported being advised to have local police call the county bomb squad if they encounter a downed drone.
CNN Newsource reported that “President-elect Donald Trump, meanwhile, has called on the Biden administration to either release any information it has about the mysterious sightings or shoot the drones out of the sky.
“‘Mystery Drone sightings all over the Country. Can this really be happening without our government’s knowledge. I don’t think so! Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!! DJT,’ Trump posted on Truth Social.”
New Jersey’s Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy has requested additional resources from the Biden Administration to better address the ongoing situation. Murphy’s comments came as the Naval Weapons Station Earle near Middletown, New Jersey, on Dec. 13 said there had been several instances of unidentified drones entering its airspace.
New York State Police said they were investigating drone sighting reports but had no evidence there was a threat to public safety. The Connecticut State Police announced that they had deployed a drone detection system in the wake of drone sightings over Fairfield County.
“Officials from the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI briefed top committees in the House and Senate as well as a delegation of New Jersey lawmakers on the reported drone sightings, a source familiar with the situation tells CNN,” CNN Newsource reported.
“We should be doing smart intelligence analysis and take them out of the skies, especially if they’re flying over airports or military bases,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said. “They should be shot down, if necessary, because they’re flying over sensitive areas.”
On Dec. 13, Rockland County Executive Ed Day sent a letter to President Biden asking for federal investigation and explanation of what’s going on and also called for Rockland residents to remain calm.
“The fact that this issue has persisted for weeks without clear answers is completely unacceptable — not just to the people of Rockland County, but to communities across the nation. It’s time for the federal government to step up, take responsibility, and provide the answers we all deserve,” Day said.
(Cover photo: Stewart Airport. Satellite photo via Google Maps.)
