Government Pushes for More Counter-Drone Powers in NJ Amid Increasing Incidents

Government officials in New Jersey are urging for increased authority to combat the ongoing drone mystery as their current authorization expires this week.

The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 granted the DHS and DOJ the authority to employ advanced detection technologies to identify, track, and intercept drones that do not comply with the law.

In order to prevent a lapse in government funding this week, lawmakers must attach a last-minute extension to a stopgap spending bill, which will expire on Dec. 20. The 2018 measure exempts certain agencies from other laws that prevent interference with aircraft and wiretapping without a warrant.

Officials claim that the last-minute, fragmented strategy hinders their efforts against drone dangers.

According to Steven Willoughby, deputy director of the Department of Homeland Security's counter-drone office, we cannot effectively budget and plan for the future.

"The Biden administration has been seeking additional authorities to expand counter-UAS authorities for several years now, both at the federal and state levels, with limited federal oversight. However, the legislation required to achieve this has been pending."

A DHS official stated that although there is no evidence of harmful actions in New Jersey, the occurrences there have exposed a weakness in our current surveillance systems. As a result, the official urged Congress to pass the necessary legislation to enhance our counter-UAS capabilities.

The Counter-UAS Authority, Security and Reauthorization Act of 2024, backed by the White House, would expand and renew the government's drone authorities until 2028, and also add new state and local drone authorities.

Instead of granting state and local authorities the power to regulate drones in airspace, a bipartisan House plan proposes to authorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to take down drones.

The narrow extension of authority granted to agencies through the stopgap measure is only expected to last for a few months before lawmakers run out of time to resolve their disputes over authority distribution.

For nearly a month, residents of New Jersey have reported sightings of large, mysterious drones flying in the night sky. Some of these drones are as wide as six feet and have been seen operating in a coordinated manner. Additionally, some unmanned aerial systems have been spotted near the Army's Picatinny Arsenal and Naval Weapons Station Earle.

The public has been steered away from assuming that the drones originate with a foreign adversary, despite law enforcement's inability to provide an explanation for the phenomenon.

"A Defense Department official stated over the weekend that there is no evidence to suggest that the individuals in question were aligned with a foreign actor or had malicious intent. However, the official emphasized that the department is still unsure about their intentions."

The official stated that they were unable to determine the operators or the source of the issue, and their authority to act off-base was extremely limited.

"We are limited in our ability to gather intelligence, conduct surveillance, and reconnaissance within our own country."

Recent sightings of unauthorized drones near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio and Ramstein U.S. Air Force Base in Germany have led to temporary airspace closures.