EXCLUSIVE — Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) has demanded transparency from the Defense Department on the unexplained drone sightings on the East Coast amid fears that they are a threat to national security.
The Tennessee senator expressed her concerns in a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. In her correspondence, she questioned federal authorities’ initial assessment that there is no foreign link to these increased drone sightings.
Blackburn tied the drone sightings to the 2023 Chinese spy balloon incident and the more recent Chinese-backed Salt Typhoon hacks targeting U.S. telecommunication companies to suggest that they may be “a part of a broader pattern of foreign surveillance and intelligence-gathering efforts.”
“These actions demonstrate a clear willingness from adversarial nationals to utilize unconventional technologies to surveil, gather intelligence, and intimidate,” Blackburn wrote. “While many of the drone reports may involve false positives, particularly with individuals mistaking mundane objects for drones, the persistence of credible sightings indicates a significant and evolving risk. The drone sightings across the East Coast should be viewed within this context as part of an ongoing, multidimensional threat to our national security.”
She is the latest in a long line of politicians from both parties urging the administration to share more information on the situation. Given the lack of public information on the drone sightings, one of Blackburn’s questions to Austin was what the department is doing to combat related misinformation.
Despite her claims, officials with the White House, the FBI, the Pentagon, and the Department of Homeland Security have said they do not believe a foreign adversary is responsible for the drones.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said Monday that officials believe the sightings are likely a combination of lawfully flown commercial drones, hobbyists, law enforcement drones, and manned aircraft and helicopters that were mistaken for drones.
“We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus,” Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said Monday.
Various local and federal law enforcement officials have have yet to conclude who is responsible for them. Multiple agencies, including the DoD, are expected to brief members of the House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday, according to Punchbowl News.
Ryder also noted that flying drones is legal and referenced an FAA statistic that more than 1 million drones are registered with them in the United States and that more than 8,000 drones are lawfully flown in the U.S. every single day. The proliferation of drones makes it difficult for law enforcement officials to identify ones that pose a threat to civilians, he explained.
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“The point being is that flying drones is not illegal,” Ryder said. “There are thousands of drones flown around the U.S. on a daily basis. So, as a result, it’s not that unusual to see drones in the sky, nor is it an indication of malicious activity or any public safety threat. Given how many drones are lawfully in our skies every day, we need to be careful to avoid assuming … malicious behavior.”
Blackburn’s letter called for a response to her questions by the end of the month or a briefing. Her questions include details on any assessments made by the department about the drones, whether any gaps exist in law enforcement’s authority to carry out counter-drone operations, how the Pentagon is coordinating with other law enforcement agencies, and what steps the department is taking to distinguish credible drone threats from false positives.