‘I am grateful for the support, but we need more,’ New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said regarding the rash of recent drone swarm sightings.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that the federal government will send “a state-of-the-art drone detection system” to her state after a number of drone sightings across New York and New Jersey in recent days.
Although she did not elaborate on the system that will be deployed, it “will support state and federal law enforcement in their investigations,” she said in a statement on the morning of Dec. 15.
“I am grateful for the support, but we need more. Congress must pass a law that will give us the power to deal directly with the drones,” the governor wrote on social media platform X at about the same time. She urged Congress to pass the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act, which will give states “the authority and resources required to respond to circumstances like we face today.”
It’s not clear whether the federal government sent a similar system to New Jersey, where most of the drone sightings have occurred, or to other states. Over the weekend, swarms of drones were spotted in other states along the East Coast, including Maryland.
On Dec. 14, Hochul said that a drone sighting shut down Stewart International Airport, a small airport located in Orange County within the Hudson Valley.
“Last night, the runways at Stewart Airfield were shut down for approximately one hour due to drone activity in the airspace,” the governor said in a statement. “This has gone too far.”
Hochul then called on the federal government to provide assistance in dealing with the unmanned vehicles, adding that federal rules make it difficult for the state to deal with drones.
“Extending these powers to New York State and our peers is essential,” the governor also said. “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.”
