New York wants Robin, but Gotham has Batman.
In response to a string of unexplained sightings, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., stated this past weekend that the Department of Homeland Security ought to deploy specialized drone-detection equipment manufactured by Robin Radar Systems to New York and New Jersey.
Schumer told reporters on Sunday that if there is technology that can send a drone into the air, there is also technology that can precisely monitor the craft and figure out what the hell is happening.
According to Schumer, he is asking for Robin’s equipment in part because it employs 360-degree technology, which has a far higher probability of identifying these drones than a linear line of sight.
The Netherlands-based Robin Radar Systems has gained notoriety recently, but their equipment isn’t just used to locate drones.
According to the Netherlands Space Office, Robin is a member of a team creating tiny radar satellites that can detect water levels. The company also installed four bird-detection radars in February to help build what has been dubbed the most environmentally friendly wind farm in the world in the Dutch portion of the North Sea.
Early in October 2023, Robin declared that it had joined PHARA, a consortium of organizations developing the most sophisticated weather radar in the world. The goal of the team is to create a completely 3D weather radar that can precisely monitor the growth and movement of cloud particles as well as major weather fronts.
The company claims on its website that “detecting small objects is what we do and what we do best.” Our 360-degree radar systems record thousands of observations, scanning every second to precisely track and categorize drones, birds, and bats.
There has also been at least one noteworthy military use for Robin’s technologies. The Dutch Ministry of Defense declared in early August that it had acquired 51 drone radars from the firm and intended to give them to Ukraine as the military of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tries to repel Russia’s aerial attack.
“Traditional radar systems are usually stationary, mounted on fixed platforms like buildings or tripods,” Robin said in a news release announcing the purchase. However, the radar systems made by Robin are mobile, meaning they can function even when installed on moving objects like cars or ships.
According to the business, the specific goal of Robin’s 3D drone detection radars is to identify tiny, swift, and evasive drones.
Residents in the New York and New Jersey regions may find relief in the use of Robin technology after being alarmed for weeks by the brilliant, unknown flying objects that hovered over their homes nearly every night.
Since at least November 18, the objects have been visible in the sky. Who is using the gadgets is still unknown. The Pentagon has maintained that the items are not military property.
General manager Kristian Brost of Robin Radar Systems told NBC News on Monday that while the company’s radars can identify drones in the sky, they are unable to identify the drone’s operator or its nation of origin.
Two days after several drone sightings near New York Stewart International Airport led to its closure, Schumer made his request to Homeland Security. In the face of an increasing number of unexplained sightings, the Democratic senator told reporters it was amazing that we had more questions than answers.
There are some little drones. Schumer claimed that some of the drones’ flight patterns are unpredictable. Once more, this new technology can provide us with the answers we need because multiple drones flying together can confound a typical radar system.
Schumer stated that he was trying to get a measure passed that would provide greater drone detection tools to local law enforcement. Currently, only federal agencies have the legal authority to scour for drones. The Democratic lawmaker s office did not immediately respond to an email Monday requesting more information.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, meanwhile, said on X late Sunday that he had met with state police officials and radar technicians who are surveying the area for unmanned aircraft systems.
The public deserves clear answers we will keep pushing the federal government for more information and resources, Murphy said.
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