Feds giving 'insufficient' information on drones, Virginia lawmakers say

Stacy Parker, The Virginian-Pilot on Dec 19, 2024

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The federal government has provided “insufficient” information to date about drone sightings near Virginia’s military installations, said Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine on Thursday following a classified briefing on the matter.

The three lawmakers were briefed Thursday by the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice and the FBI regarding the ongoing investigation into the unexplained drone sightings in Virginia.

“While we appreciate the agencies taking the time to update us on the situation, this briefing was insufficient and unsatisfactory,” Youngkin, Warner and Kaine said in a joint statement. “It has been more than a year since these sightings over key military facilities in Virginia, and the lack of answers about the nature, intent, and origin of these incidents is completely unacceptable.”

Last week, a Virginia Beach resident reported seeing a large drone, described as the size of a small truck, over his neighborhood and two military installations along the coast. Hampton Roads is home to several military installations, and Langley Air Force Base in Hampton was subject to a drone incursion last year.

The Virginia Beach report added to the long list of strange drone sightings reported this month in other areas of the East Coast, including in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

Federal authorities have said the drones are not a public safety threat, but their presence has unnerved some people and prompted questions about national security and personal privacy.

On Thursday, the Federal Aviation Administration issued a temporary ban on drone flights in New Jersey after frequent drone sightings unsettled residents.

“The level of information flow or the willingness to take this at the level of seriousness, I’ve been hugely concerned,” said Warner, a Virginia Democrat, while taking questions from reporters earlier in the day. “And again, I’m chairman of the intelligence committee. I’d love to be able to sit here and tell you, ‘Don’t worry, we’ve got it all explained but part of it’s classified.’ I can’t tell you that.”

Warner said he’s more concerned about the delays in the way government officials have publicly addressed the recent ramped-up reports of drones rather than the aircraft themselves.

“I do believe the overwhelming majority, 90%-plus, maybe 95%- or 98%-plus are probably sightings of commercial aircraft, or drones that have already been properly registered, but the slowness of the Defense Department to realize, I’m not going to call it a full panic — you’ve got folks understandably concerned, and not to be more kind of forward-leaning is totally unacceptable.”

This month, the Virginia Fusion Center, a state police division, has received more than 150 tips regarding drone activity in the commonwealth.

“We encourage anyone that witnesses a drone flying over critical infrastructure, such as energy installations, or military sites, to contact the Virginia Fusion Center,” Virginia State Police Special Agent D. Robinson wrote in a news release. “This will enable us to work with our partners to determine exactly what is occurring, and how to move forward.”

According to VFC, drones are required to remain in sight of either the operator or a visual observer and have a maximum allowable altitude of 400 feet unless waived by federal regulators. Operators are required to have a remote pilot certificate for recreational use or a license from the FAA for commercial use.

VFC warned that it’s against the law to shoot at a drone, and that Virginia law prohibits flying drones within 50 feet of a residence, “unless the person is authorized by the federal government to operate and is doing so lawfully and consistent with federal regulations.”

Suspicious drone activity can be reported to the Virginia Fusion Center: vfc@vfc.vsp.virginia.gov.

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