US calms concerns about drones

Speaking on ABC News on December 15, US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas sought to calm growing public concerns about the mysterious appearance of drones in the northeastern region of the country in recent times.

Many social media accounts have recently spread "strange" drone images mainly in the states of New York and New Jersey, with some incidents recorded in the states of Maryland and Virginia.

The US has more than 1 million registered drones.

"Some of the drone sightings are actually drones. Others are manned aircraft that are often mistaken for drones," Mayorkas said. "However, there is no doubt that drones are present. I want to assure the American people that we are pursuing the case," Mayorkas stressed, affirming that he would immediately inform the public in case of detecting any foreign interference or criminal activity. However, he said that the Department of Homeland Security has not yet recorded any suspicious incidents.

Trump calls for shooting down mysterious UAVs in the US

Even as the minister sought to calm public opinion, Boston police announced the arrest of two suspects the night before (December 14) on suspicion of operating a drone in a dangerous manner near the city’s Logan International Airport. The third suspect fled the scene and is being sought by police.

In a letter to Mayorkas on December 15, US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called on the Department of Homeland Security to immediately deploy drone identification technology across New York and New Jersey to address the threat posed by drones, AFP reported. He also urged the Biden administration to act quickly to ensure that federal, state and local authorities can work together more easily to detect drones. A "shoot-to-kill" plan should also be in place to respond promptly in the event of a threat to a key facility or crowded place.

On the same day, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that authorities had agreed to deploy a modern drone identification system in the state. "I appreciate the support, but we need more. Congress must pass legislation that empowers us to deal directly with the drone problem," Ms. Hochul wrote on X (formerly Twitter name).

Speaking on CBS News on December 15, Mr. Mike Waltz, the candidate for the upcoming National Security Advisor of the Washington administration, said that what happened reflected the problem in protecting US airspace. "President-elect Donald Trump mentioned deploying the Iron Dome air defense system (made by Israel) in the US," Mr. Waltz said. According to him, if put into operation, Iron Dome needs to be equipped with the ability to handle drones, not just stop at dealing with missiles.

Even Democratic lawmakers have called on the Biden administration to do more to address public concerns. Rep. Jim Himes of the House Intelligence Committee disagreed with the Federal Aviation Administration's "we don't know" response about the drone incidents, while Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Texas urged the White House to provide information to explain "what's going on here."

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/my-tran-an-lo-ngai-ve-drone-185241216222431879.htm