Washington, DC - Over the past few days, Congressman Van Drew has been investigating the disturbing reports that have emerged of drones flying over New Jersey. He has been meeting with officials to gather information on these incidents, which he believes could be part of a much larger national security threat. 

"What we have uncovered so far is deeply troubling," said Congressman Van Drew. "There is circumstantial evidence that suggests these drones could be the work of foreign adversaries, specifically Iran. Right now, we know that there are drones flying in from the direction of the ocean. We also know there is an Iranian drone mothership that is missing from port in Iran, with a timeline matching the emergence of these drones. The time to act on this information is now before the threat escalates any further. These drones are intentionally flying in uncontrolled airspace, expertly navigating around areas with radar coverage. We should have already taken action by imposing flight restrictions to regain our control. Whether this is a foreign adversary or even just a group of drone hobbyists, we cannot allow unidentified drones to operate freely in our airspace with no consequences and it is time we eliminate the threat they pose and shoot them down.

"We are currently falling behind our enemies in terms in terms of drone technology, and because of it, our country is exposed. We need to catch up, and fast. South Jersey is home to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) William J. Hughes Technical Center, which is uniquely equipped to address these challenges. As Vice Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and a member of the Aviation Subcommittee, I will be working to prioritize the development of a comprehensive national strategy to enhance our radar coverage along the East Coast and beyond, as well as the creation of a drone patrol network to monitor and defend our skies. Our enemies are not waiting for us to catch up–and neither should we."