A former Navy helicopter pilot running for governor of New Jersey wants U.S. Customs and Border Protection to deploy Reaper drones and counter unmanned aircraft systems radars to locate and track drones that have been spotted flying across New Jersey over the last four weeks.
A plan of action released by Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair), who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, calls for coordinated congressional information sharing, a centralized response, streamlining communication with the public, and future detection and prevention.
“After weeks of unidentified drone sightings over New Jersey, two things are clear: One, the drones remain unidentified, and two, the people of New Jersey need clearer, more consistent communication as to what our government is learning and doing about the drones,” Sherrill said. “New Jerseyans’ patience is getting very thin, including my own.”
According to Sherrill, Customers and Border Patrol has a fleet of MQ-9 Reaper drones, which are unmanned with “electro-optical/infra-red (EO/IR) capabilities to track targets in various environments.”
She wants the Department of Homeland Security to use its drones and radar to “accurately detect drones at the point of their launch site.” Sherrill is asking the FBI to use these systems to track unidentified drones.
“I’m incredibly frustrated Right now, our leaders need to be acting in accordance with a unified plan, and speaking with one voice in order to protect our national security, keep New Jerseyans safe, and ensure state and local authorities have the information and tools they need to take action.
The North Jersey congresswoman has asked House leadership to convoke an immediate classified hearing involving several House committees and officials of relevant federal agencies to offer a full briefing on the federal government’s response to the New Jersey drone sightings. She wants unclassified information from the briefing to be immediately shared with the public.
Sherrill voiced annoyance “with the lack of coordination and communication from agencies as New Jerseyans continue to watch unidentified drones fly across our skies.”
“When this volume of unidentified aircraft conduct flights over civilian and military airspace, we need a swift, cohesive response and a streamlined, coherent line of communication to the public,” she said. “We need action, we need speed, we need effectiveness. We have felt little of this to date.”
She has asked President Joe Biden to form an interagency task force with a whole-of-government approach quickly, and wants the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to lead the response.
Sherrill has also called on the leadership of federal agencies with appropriate jurisdictions to collaborate and report to Congress.
As part of her five-point plan, Sherrill is asking for the federal government to swiftly implement a clear reporting process and plan to share cleared information with the public.
“The lack of a unified, cohesive message from the federal government is only adding to the fear and concern that the public is feeling. Elected leaders from the congressional to municipal levels, and law enforcement agencies at the state and local levels, are receiving different information from different agencies, and lines of communication — both to report and to receive reporting — are unhelpful and unclear,” Sherrill stated. “Law enforcement agencies on the ground need clear guidance on how to relay the information they are receiving to federal officials with the relevant jurisdiction and clear guidance on what information can be shared with the public.”
Sherrill said she formulated her plan after writing to U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and speaking with local leaders and subject matter experts.