US Rep. Adam Smith: Drones have become a ‘significant concern’

Washington Democratic U.S. Rep. Adam Smith told “Seattle’s Morning News” in an interview that aired Thursday the proliferation of drones has become a significant concern for both civilians and the military. Smith said these unmanned aerial vehicles are increasingly common, with more people owning and operating them.

“We don’t have the answers in terms of being able to figure out where these things are coming from and identifying them,” Smith told KIRO Newsradio. “We need to make some changes in our policy and in our capabilities to be able to address what is a very real and troubling threat.”

Smith feels that the rise in drone usage has exposed vulnerabilities in our defense systems.

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“We need to make changes in our policy and capabilities to address this threat,” Smith explained. “Our current radar systems are inadequate for detecting these drones, and we need to invest in better detection and defense systems.”

The Biden administration has acknowledged that many reported drone sightings are actually manned aircraft or other objects. “I think the administration has done a really poor job of explaining to people what’s going on and the real threat.”

Smith said there are growing issues from drones that need to be addressed. Our military bases were not designed to detect slow-moving, low-flying objects, making them susceptible to drone incursions.

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Smith explained the issue is not just limited to military bases. The availability of advanced drones online, some with significant capabilities, raises questions about regulation and enforcement. While there are supposed to be licensing requirements for drone operators, enforcement is lax, and it’s unclear how many operators are actually complying with these regulations.

A large number of mysterious drones have been reported flying over New Jersey and across the eastern U.S., sparking speculation and concern over where they came from and why.

In response, the Federal Aviation Administration on Wednesday temporarily banned drone flights in 22 areas of New Jersey where critical infrastructure is located. FAA officials said the flight restrictions were requested by federal security agencies and are effective through Jan. 17.

The FBI, the Homeland Security Department and state agencies have been investigating, but officials say there has been nothing so far to suggest that any drones have posed a national security or public safety threat. In fact, authorities say, many of the drone sightings have actually been legal drones, manned aircraft, helicopters and even stars.

Contributing: The Associated Press

Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.