Department of Defense doubles down, says drones are not US military assets

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.”

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Fox News’ Jennifer Griffin asked Ryder if the drones being seen in New Jersey were possibly in part of a corridor created a year ago, specifically for testing and evaluating drones and unmanned systems.

Ryder said he checked with the Joint Staff to see if that was possible, and was told the drones were not U.S. military assets, nor were they part of any military or experimental operations in the corridor.

Since the middle of November, possible drone sightings have been reported across New Jersey, in places like Trump’s Bedminster golf club, and over military research facilities.

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What looks to be a large drone hovers in the area at high altitudes in the Bay Shore section of Toms River in New Jersey, Dec. 8. The drones appeared to be well above the 400 feet height FAA regulations allow. (Doug Hood/Asbury Park Press)

Two of the New Jersey military facilities where drones were spotted included the Picatinny Arsenal in Rockaway Township, and Naval Weapons Station Earle in Colts Neck.

According to Ryder, the DoD is taking steps to ensure that military installations like Picatinny and Earle have the capability to detect, identify and track objects in their airspace as appropriate.

Unmanned systems are part of modern warfare and are “here to stay,” Ryder said, so the DoD wants to make sure it is doing what it can to protect its forces from a national security standpoint.

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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.”

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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.”