Palm Beach, Florida: President-elect Donald Trump on Monday urged the U.S. military to disclose information regarding recent drone sightings that have been reported along the East Coast over the past several weeks.
Speaking at a press conference in Palm Beach, Florida, Trump said, “The government knows what is happening. For some reason, they don’t want to comment. And I think they’d be better off saying what it is our military knows and our president knows.”
Trump added, “I can’t imagine it’s the enemy,” but did not elaborate further. When asked if he had received an intelligence briefing on the matter, Trump declined to comment.
Earlier on Monday, Pentagon spokesperson Major General Pat Ryder addressed the issue, reiterating that the drones in question were not operated by the U.S. military. Ryder emphasized the military’s limitations in tracking drones within U.S. airspace, unless a credible threat was identified.
“Flying drones is not illegal. There are thousands of drones flown around the U.S. on a daily basis. So, as a result, it’s not that unusual to see drones in the sky, nor is it an indication of malicious activity or any public safety threat,” Ryder said.
He added, “The same applies to drones flown near U.S. military installations. Some fly near or over our bases from time to time. That, in itself, is not unusual, and the vast majority pose no physical threat to our forces or impact our operations.”
The wave of drone sightings began in mid-November in New Jersey and has since spread to other states, including Maryland and Massachusetts. U.S. officials said on Saturday that the majority of these reports involved manned aircraft rather than drones and emphasized that there was no evidence of a national security threat.
Also Read | Drug Cartel Boss Osiel Cardenas Returned to Mexico After U.S. Prison Term
An FBI official told reporters that of the more than 5,000 reported sightings, fewer than 100 required further investigation. The official also noted that all large fixed-wing sightings reported so far were related to manned aircraft.
Mike Waltz, Trump’s pick for national security adviser, said on Sunday that the drone sightings revealed vulnerabilities in U.S. airspace security that need urgent attention.
Also Read | Bashar al-Assad Describes His Last Day in Syria Before Seeking Asylum in Russia
A U.S. official, speaking anonymously, confirmed that drone detection and tracking systems were being deployed to Picatinny Arsenal and Naval Weapons Station Earle in New Jersey. However, the official noted that no operational timeline had been established. To date, the sightings have not posed any threat to security or public safety, the official said.
White House National Security Spokesperson John Kirby also addressed the issue on Monday, stating that law enforcement agencies had found no evidence of unlawful activity or risks to national security. “The drone sightings to date do not include any unlawful activity or any national security or safety risk to the United States,” Kirby emphasized.
