The Department of Defense reaffirms that drones are not considered US military assets.

On Tuesday, the Department of Defense (DoD) reiterated that the rising number of reported drones in areas like New Jersey and New York are not connected to the U.S. military, stating that the majority of these unmanned aircraft are most likely used by hobbyists for leisure activities.

During a press briefing on Tuesday, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, answered multiple questions from reporters about the drones, but he made it clear that the drones are not owned by the Department of Defense and are not part of any experimental programs.

Over a million drones are registered in the U.S., with about 8,500 in flight on any given day. Most of these drones are used by hobbyists or for recreational purposes. However, commercial drones can be used for architecture, engineering, farming, or law enforcement.

"Could some of those drones be involved in malicious activities? Ryder stated that it is entirely possible, although the majority of drones do not engage in such behavior. He added that the presence of drones near or over U.S. military installations is not a new occurrence, and they take all such incidents seriously."

Jennifer Griffin of Planet Chronicle questioned Ryder about the drones spotted in New Jersey, wondering if they could be part of a testing and evaluation corridor established a year ago.

Ryder inquired with the Joint Staff about the possibility of using drones in the corridor, and was informed that they were not U.S. military assets and were not involved in any military or experimental operations in the area.

Drone sightings have been reported in New Jersey since the middle of November, including at Trump's Bedminster golf club and near military research facilities.

The Picatinny Arsenal in Rockaway Township and Naval Weapons Station Earle in Colts Neck were two of the New Jersey military facilities where drones were observed.

The DoD is taking steps to ensure that military installations like Picatinny and Earle have the capability to detect, identify and track objects in their airspace, as appropriate, according to Ryder.

The DoD is committed to safeguarding its troops from a national security perspective as unmanned systems have become an integral part of modern warfare, according to Ryder.

"These new capabilities will significantly improve Space authorities' ability to detect, identify, and track Unmanned Aircraft Systems. For instance, the system known as Drone Busters, which employs non-kinetic means to interrupt drone signals, will affect their ability to operate."

Ryder denied the existence of monoliths accompanying drone sightings, contrary to rumors.

"Ryder joked, "I'd have to recall the words of the wise Obi-Wan Kenobi from 'Star Wars: A New Hope,' who said, 'These aren't the droids, drones you're looking for,'" referring to another science fiction classic."

"Beyond that, I’ll just have to move along."