A U.S. Senator from Connecticut said the mysterious drones spotted recently flying over states in the mid-Atlantic region should be "shot down, if necessary."
In an interview on Capitol Hill Thursday, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said intelligence analysis is needed on the drones and the U.S. must act "more aggressively" against the sightings that have been reported.
"We should be doing some very smart intelligence analysis and take them out of the skies, especially if they're flying over airports or military bases," the senator said. "They should be shot down, if necessary, because they're flying over sensitive areas."
Blumenthal also said the lack of information on the drones, who they belong to and where they have come from is "absolutely unacceptable."
DRONES SPOTTED OVER CONNECTICUT SKY IN LATEST PHENOMENON
His comments come as many large drones have been reported flying over New Jersey in the past few weeks. Drones were also allegedly spotted in Blumenthal's state for the first time on Thursday.
White House national security communications adviser John Kirby said Thursday that many of the alleged drones spotted recently are actually lawfully operated manned aircraft.
"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 told reporters at the daily White House press briefing. "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI are investigating these sightings, and they're working closely with state and local law enforcement to provide resources using numerous detection methods to better understand their origin."
Kirby also said, thus far, the investigation into the alleged drones has not revealed "any national security or malicious intent or criminal activity," but admitted the government is in the beginning stages of the investigation.
Blumenthal said his office is asking for a briefing on the drones, describing it as "absolutely necessary" for Congress and the American people as many appear to be concerned and afraid.
"I'm hearing from constituents in the metropolitan area around New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, who are really terrified by these drones flying unidentified over airports and military bases," he said.
The senator added that the drones are causing a "level of fear, even terror" because people are worried about surveillance and airplanes flying in the same airspace.
He also encouraged Americans wanting to use drones to buy ones manufactured in the USA and not China, warning that they could be "sources of surveillance data for other kinds of security threats."
"Chinese manufactured drones are real and present [a] threat to the security of this country," Blumenthal said. "We have to stop using them."
