High-tech radar technology used in the Russia-Ukraine war may soon be deployed to investigate mysterious drones flying over the Northeast US.
The Robin Radar System has been floated by American officials to try to uncover the mystery of unidentified flying objects seen hovering over New Jersey, New York and surrounding areas.
‘I want to see a flock of Robin-like technology systems deployed across the New York city metropolitan area so we need the Department of Homeland Security to spring into action,’ said Senator Chuck Schumer to fellow lawmakers on Monday.
The request from Schumer and New York Governor Kathy Hochul came as the FBI revealed a staggering number of apparent drone sightings have been reported.
‘FBI has received tips of more than 5,000 reported drone sightings in the last few weeks with approximately 100 leads generated,’ stated the agency along with the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday.
Investigators have not discovered ‘anything anomalous’ or national security or public safety threats tied to the sightings thus far, according to the federal agencies.
Drones have also been spotted recently in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio and Connecticut.
New Jersey officials reached out to Kris Brost, who is general director of Robin Radar USA Inc, and the company sent a team to the state on Friday to discuss best ways to deploy their systems to help identify the drones.
‘Basically what a radar does is a radar bounces radio waves off of objects,’ Brost told ABC News.
‘There’s a sophisticated term called “radar cross section” and that really comes down to what is that material made of, how fast is it moving, what altitude it’s at, etc.’
The Robin system is mobile and light and ‘can be installed on a police cruiser or whatever you need to and be used on the move’, Brost added.
It has been used to help the Ukrainian military locate Russian attack drones, he said. The system has proved to be ‘important’ for Ukraine’s forces.
‘The war in the Ukraine was really a turning point for our company based on the compelling needs they have and certainly some of the data that we’ve been able to collect and implement based on that environment has been specular,’ Brost said.
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