The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) doubled down on its efforts on Tuesday, saying there was an increasing number of possible drones being reported in places like this New Jersey and New York are not U.S. military assets, adding that the vast majority of drones are likely to be used by amateurs for recreational purposes.
Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder answered numerous questions from reporters about the drones during a press conference on Tuesday, but he still made it clear that the drones are not the property of the Department of Defense and are not part of any experimental program.
He said there are more than 1 million registered drones in the United States, and about 8,500 drones are flown every day. Ryder noted that the vast majority of drones are probably used by hobbyists or for recreational purposes. There are also commercial drones that can be used in construction, engineering, agriculture or law enforcement, he continued.
"Is it possible that some of these drones are involved in malicious activity? That's entirely possible," Ryder said, adding that for the vast majority of drones, that's not the case. "To the extent that drones are flown near or over U.S. military installations, that in itself is nothing new given the volume of drone flights we see on a given day. We take all of this seriously."
Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder responded to numerous questions from reporters Tuesday about drones. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolfe)
Fox News' Jennifer Griffin asked Ryder if the drones seen in New Jersey could have been part of a corridor created a year ago specifically for testing and evaluation Drones and unmanned systems.
Ryder said he checked with the Joint Staff to see if this was possible and was told the drones were not U.S. military assets and were not part of any military or experimental operations within the corridor.
Since mid-November, possible drone sightings have been reported across New Jersey, at places like Trump's Bedminster Golf Club, and over military research facilities.
On December 8, a seemingly large drone hovered at high altitude in the Toms River Bayfront area of New Jersey. high. (Doug Hood/Asbury Park Press)
Two New Jersey military installations where drones were found include Picatinny Arsenal in Rockaway Township and Earle Naval Weapons Station in Colts Neck.
Ryder said the Department of Defense is taking steps to ensure military installations like Picatinny and Earle have the ability to detect, identify and track objects in their airspace.
Ryder said unmanned systems are part of modern warfare and "are here to stay," so the Defense Department wants to make sure it's doing everything it can to protect its forces from a national security perspective.
The Pentagon doubled down on Tuesday, saying a potential drone over New Jersey is not a U.S. military asset. (Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images; Doug Hood/Asbury Park Press)
"These capabilities will essentially enhance space authorities' ability to detect, identify and track (unmanned aerial systems), in addition to some of the capabilities these devices already have," Ryder said. "So, for example, this could include active or passive detection capabilities, as well as features such as a system called "Drone Buster," which...uses non-kinetic means to interrupt the drone's signal and affect its ability to operate."
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Ryder also dismissed rumors that possible drone sightings were accompanied by large rectangular black monoliths, a reference to Arthur C. Clarke's "2001: A Space Odyssey."
"I might have to recall the words of a very wise prophet, Obi-Wan Kenobi, who said, 'These are not the droids, the drones you're looking for,'" Ryder joked, referring to another A science fiction classic, Star Wars: A New Hope.
"Other than that, I just have to move on."