US temporarily bans drones in parts of NJ, may use “deadly force” against aircraft

Drone sightings cause worry; FBI said it hadn't "identified anything anomalous."

The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily banned drones over parts of New Jersey yesterday and said "the United States government may use deadly force against" airborne aircraft "if it is determined that the aircraft poses an imminent security threat."

The FAA issued 22 orders imposing "temporary flight restrictions for special security reasons" until January 17, 2025. "At the request of federal security partners, the FAA published 22 Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) prohibiting drone flights over critical New Jersey infrastructure," an FAA statement said.

Each NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) affects a specific area. "No UAS [Unmanned Aircraft System] operations are authorized in the areas covered by this NOTAM" unless they have clearance for specific operations, the FAA said. Allowed operations include support for national defense, law enforcement, firefighting, and commercial operations "with a valid statement of work."

"Pilots who do not adhere to the following proc[edure] may be intercepted, detained and interviewed by law enforcement/security personnel," the FAA said. Violating the order could result in "civil penalties and the suspension or revocation of airmen certificates," and criminal charges, the FAA said.

The New Jersey orders affect areas in Evesham, Hamilton, Bridgewater, Cedar Grove, Metuchen, North Brunswick Township, Camden, Gloucester City, Westampton, South Brunswick, Edison, Branchburg, Sewaren, Jersey City, Harrison, Elizabeth, Bayonne, Winslow, Burlington, Clifton, Hancocks Bridge, and Kearny.

5,000 tips to FBI, but nothing “anomalous”

The latest notices follow numerous sightings of objects that appeared to be drones, which worried New Jersey residents and prompted state and federal officials to investigate and issue several public statements. The FAA last month imposed temporary flight restrictions at the Picatinny Arsenal, an Army research and manufacturing facility, and a Bedminster golf course owned by President-elect Donald Trump.

On December 16, a joint statement was issued by the US Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the FAA, and Department of Defense. The "FBI has received tips of more than 5,000 reported drone sightings in the last few weeks with approximately 100 leads generated," but evidence so far suggests "the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones," the statement said. "We have not identified anything anomalous and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast."

There was also a December 12 statement by the FBI and DHS on the New Jersey drone sightings, which said authorities had "no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus."

"Historically, we have experienced cases of mistaken identity, where reported drones are, in fact, manned aircraft or facilities... upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft, operating lawfully. There are no reported or confirmed drone sightings in any restricted air space," the statement said.

Don’t shoot the drones down yourself

Authorities warned residents not to shoot down drones themselves, saying it is illegal under federal law and could result in civil penalties and/or criminal charges. "A private citizen shooting at any aircraft—including unmanned aircraft—poses a significant safety hazard," the FAA said. "An unmanned aircraft hit by gunfire could crash, causing damage to persons or property on the ground, or it could collide with other objects in the air."

The New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness recently released a "drone incidents FAQ" to answer residents' concerns. One question in the FAQ was, "Why can't authorities or the military shoot down or capture a drone midflight?" It answered that "state and local authorities do not have the legal ability to mitigate threatening drone activity at this time" and that "federal agencies and the US military have different legal abilities and technical capabilities."

The New Jersey FAQ pointed to a US Homeland Security publication that says when drones are operated illegally, Homeland Security can "seize or exercise control of the unmanned aircraft system or unmanned aircraft," and "use reasonable force to disable, damage, or destroy the unmanned aircraft system or unmanned aircraft."

Source

Hope you enjoyed this news post.

Thank you for appreciating my time and effort posting news every day for many years.

2023: Over 5,800 news posts | 2024 (till end of November): 5,298 news posts

RIP Matrix | Farewell my friend