Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) has announced federal authorities will deploy a “state-of-the-art drone detection system” to the Empire State, after a flurry of reports of unknown drone sightings.
The White House has stressed that the flying objects do not pose any threat and may be a “slight overreaction” from the public, but federal officials have garnered criticism over not providing enough information about the objects. Hochul announced the deployment of the system in a statement on Sunday and shared her gratitude for the support from the federal government.
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“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,” Hochul said.
She also urged action by Congress to allow for better responses to instances where there is a bevy of reports of unknown flying objects.
“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,” Hochul’s statement continued.
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The White House downplayed the reported sightings in a press call on Saturday, saying a majority of the sightings are most likely manned airplanes. A Department of Homeland Security official on the call said that “no threat has been identified from the drone sightings.”
Hochul had called for further action from federal authorities on Saturday after drone activity in the airspace of Stewart Airfield shut down the runways at the airport for an hour on Friday, with the New York governor saying, “This has gone too far.”