It’s not birds. It’s not planes. It’s drones, drones and more drones filling the night skies over New York City and beyond — and no one seems to have a concrete answer why.

The mysterious drone sightings began more than two weeks ago in NYC skies, causing public alarm and leaving New Yorkers with more questions than answers, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer acknowledged on Sunday.

Schumer is co-sponsoring legislation that will combat drones by allowing local and state police departments to help the feds spot the UFO-like aircrafts, using a technology system called the Robin.

“If the technology exists for a drone to make it up into the sky, there certainly is technology that can track the craft with precision and determine what the heck is going on,” the senator said. “And that’s what the Robin does.”

Schumer urged the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to deploy special detection systems like the Robin to help end the mystery behind the unmanned, eerie aircraft that have been perplexing people across the metro area.

The Robin, according to Schumer, works well because it does not follow a linear line of sight but rather 360 degrees. Because of this feature, the Robin can be helpful with drone detection.  

Technology like the Robin was originally used to detect birds in aviation so it could find “little things,” Schumer explained.  

“But that precision is just the kind of technology that will make it much easier to figure out what these drones are, where they are and find out even who is launching them,” he said, adding that he has had several unclassified briefings with DHS about the drone technology.

Drone radar uses radio waves, which are sent out in short pulses to detect drones. Local Americans have spotted drones hovering above their homes in places including Staten Island, Long Island and New Jersey.

However, it is not so easy to successfully detect drones, as obstacles often stand in the way. The drones have appeared in various sizes and followed erratic flight paths. Multiple drones flying together can confuse a traditional radar system.

“That’s why this new technology can really get us the answers we need,” Schumer said.

Enforcing drone technology

Perhaps a greater challenge is getting the federal government to grant authority to local enforcement to use drone-detection technology.

On Thursday,U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, Cory Booker, Andy Kim, and Schumer sent a collective letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker asking them to work with local police departments on solving the drone mystery.

“Due to the ongoing nature of these drone incidents, we request that the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation brief us as soon as possible on how your agencies are working with federal and local law enforcement to identify and address the source of these incursions,” the letter stated.

Right now, only federal agencies have the ability and legal authority to detect drones.

“Because there are so many drones in so many places, our local authorities want and need the help,” Schumer said. “This legislation will get them the help.”

Meanwhile, in Albany, Gov. Kathy Hochul said the drone debacle has “gone too far” after the runways at Stewart Airfield in Orange County were shut down for an hour due to drone activity in the airspace.

“In mid-November, I directed the New York State Intelligence Center to actively investigate drone sightings and coordinate with federal law enforcement to address this issue, and those efforts are ongoing,” Hochul said.

Like Schumer, she is calling on Congress to pass legislation that would let local authorities combat and detect the drones. Dubbed the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act, the bill would extend counter-UAS activities to select state and local law enforcement.

“Extending these powers to New York State and our peers is essential,” she said. “Until those powers are granted to state and local officials, the Biden administration must step in by directing additional federal law enforcement to New York and the surrounding region to ensure the safety of our critical infrastructure and our people.”

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