N.Y., N.J. drone mystery to be tackled by high-tech detection system. Here's how Robin Radar Systems work.
NEW YORK -- Federal lawmakers say they will push for new measures in Congress on Monday to track down the mysterious drones flying across the Tri-State Area and the country.
Gov. Kathy Hochul says federal partners are deploying a state-of-the-art detection system to New York state.
On Sunday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he's requesting the Department of Homeland Security deploy a detection system like Robin Radar Systems, a Netherlands-based company that specializes in tracking drones.
CBS News New York's Lisa Rozner asked DHS if it would grant Schumer's request for a new detection system, but a representative of the department said the agency only responds to congressional inquiries directly via "official channels."
Hochul said Sunday the state needs Congress to pass a bill that would give New York the authority to detect, track or even destroy unmanned aircraft systems. That legislation has been stuck in committees, but Schumer's office said with him as co-sponsor now, it could pass by the end of the year.
Asked if he would consider banning the sale of drones from some companies, Schumer said, "There are hundreds of companies all over the globe that make drones. We don't know which ones these are. This radar will help us find out which they are and then we can go talk to the companies."
Here's how Robin Radar Systems works
Siete Hamminga, the CEO and founder of Robin Radar Systems, explained how his devices operate.
"Our capability is really providing situational awareness," Hamminga said.
- Read more: Ocean County, N.J. Sheriff's office launches its own drones to investigate mysterious sightings
Hamminga says with the help of AI, Robin uses unique radar technology from the ground to track drones within a five-kilometer -- or just over three-mile -- radius.
"If you have a 360-degree view, a 3D picture of where the drone is flying, you could also see the flight path and you may find out where the drone came from or where it lands, and that is usually the place where your operators stand," Hamminga said.
Hamminga said heightened security around drones is the new norm.
"I'm a firm believer that the systems [that] do track and detect drones will become the safety standard in all the prisons, airports, harbors, nuclear power plants and border security, critical infrastructures in general, so I think we 'ain't seen nothing yet,' as you say in the United States," Hamminga said.
"We need to take a hard look at our homeland defenses"
On CBS' "Face the Nation," Republican Congressman Mike Waltz of Florida said defense agencies are pointing the finger at each other.
"We need to take a hard look at our homeland defenses. President Trump has talked about an iron dome for America that needs to include drones as well, not just adversarial actions like hypersonic missiles. We need to have an all-of-the-above protection of U.S. airspace," Waltz said.
The FBI says it has received approximately 5,000 tips on the aircraft sightings, and of those, less than 100 leads were deemed worthy of further investigation.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said on ABC's "This Week" that the agency knows of "no foreign involvement."
The Department of Defense also said the military is "prohibited from conducting intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations in the U.S."
"I believe it's sabotage"
The South Bronx is now one of the multiple places in the Northeast where clusters of drones have been spotted.
"They're huge, too, so I don't know what's going on," resident Jeff Garcia said.
"I believe it's sabotage because all of a sudden we getting all of these drones coming from somewhere," resident Donna McCoy said.
"Is it like recording people? Or they just going around sitting there looking at you?" JJ Mines-Evans added.
Michael Melham, the mayor of Belleville, New Jersey, said his town seems to be a hotbed for the flying objects.
"I want to know why they're up there. They're flying in a grid pattern. They're circling. They're patrolling. It appears to be that they're looking, or we would say sniffing for something," Melham said.
