Drone Sightings In Virginia: Governor Criticizes Federal Response

VIRGINIA — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has raised concerns over multiple drones spotted in the state, which is home to many national security sites. He said Saturday that federal authorities have not been forthcoming about sharing information.

“The Commonwealth of Virginia is home to a significant number of national security and critical infrastructure sites upon which our nation depends each and every day. I remain deeply concerned that Virginia has consistently sought information from federal partners, and to date, the information shared with the Commonwealth has been insufficient,” Youngkin said in a statement.

"The Virginia State Police Homeland Security Division and Virginia Department of Emergency Management continue to closely coordinate through our Fusion Center with the greater law enforcement and first responder community regarding drone activity in the Commonwealth," the governor said. "We will continue to engage with numerous federal partners and release further information as it becomes known and available.”

The Department of Defense issued a statement over the weekend regarding the sightings. It confirmed that sightings have been recorded over two military installations in New Jersey but said such sightings are typical.

"We have had confirmed sightings at Picatinny Arsenal and Naval Weapons Station Earle," a spokesperson said. "This is not a new issue for us. We've had to deal with drone incursions over our bases for quite a time now. It's something that we routinely respond to in each and every case when reporting is cited."

Virginians can report drone sightings to the Virginia Fusion Center at VFC@vfc.vsp.virginia.gov or (877)4VA-TIPS. Residents should not attempt to interfere with UAVs by utilizing personally owned drones or any other airborne craft or attempting to capture the suspected drone/aircraft individually, the governor's office said.

The Washington, D.C., area has a no-fly zone for drones. The Federal Aviation Administruation said flying an unmanned aircraft within the 15-mile radius inner ring is prohibited without specific FAA authorization.

• Flying a drone for recreational or non-recreational use between 15 and 30 miles from Washington, D.C. is allowed under these operating conditions:
  • Aircraft must weigh less than 55 lbs. (including any attachments such as a camera)
  • Aircraft must be registered and marked
  • Fly below 400 ft.
  • Fly within visual line-of-sight
  • Fly in clear weather conditions
  • Never fly near other aircraft

Drone flights have raised questions from residents, local and state officials in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.

Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Friday said he saw what appeared to be dozens of large drones in the sky above his Anne Arundel County home and slammed the federal government's "negligent response" amid growing concerns over similar sightings. He said residents are increasingly concerned and frustrated with the complete lack of transparency and the dismissive attitude of the federal government."

Thousands of tips have come into the Federal Bureau of Investigation since they began investigating reports in New Jersey of increased drone activity in neighborhoods and near important infrastructure. Local officials in the Garden State are fielding the same reports, including police and fire companies.

The White House said Thursday that a review of the reported sightings shows that many of them are actually manned aircraft being flown lawfully. White House National Security spokesman John Kirby said there were no reported sightings in any restricted airspace. He said the U.S. Coast Guard has not uncovered any foreign involvement from coastal vessels.

“We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus,” Kirby said, echoing statements from the Pentagon.

Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh has said they are not U.S. military drones.