West
Drones spotted over Camp Pendleton in California posed no threat to operations: report
Drones spotted flying over Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Southern California over the past week posed no threat to operations at the installation, according to reports.
Base spokesman Capt. James C. Sartain told The Warzone that between Dec. 9 and 15, “there were six instances of unmanned aerial systems (UAS)” seen entering the airspace over Camp Pendleton.
Sartain also said the UAS did not pose any threat to installation operations.
The publication also learned from base personnel that countermeasures to take out the drones were not necessary as air and ground operations were not impacted.
MORE THAN 20 DAYS INTO PHENOMENON, PENTAGON STILL HAS NO ANSWERS ABOUT ORIGINS OF MYSTERIOUS NJ DRONES
The entrance to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, Calif. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)
Camp Pendleton officials did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for confirmation and further details on the matter.
The reports of drones flying over Camp Pendleton come as reports continue to come in of possible drones being spotted over military installations in New Jersey, including the Picatinny Arsenal in Rockaway Township, and Naval Weapons Station Earle in Colts Neck.
Drones were also seen flying near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio over the weekend, forcing the base to close its airspace for hours on Saturday.
According to its website, Wright-Patterson is “headquarters for a vast, worldwide logistics system, a world-class laboratory research function, and is the foremost acquisition and development center in the U.S. Air Force.”
NJ DRONE INCIDENTS SPUR GOVERNMENT PUSH FOR MORE COUNTER-DRONE POWERS AS CURRENT AUTHORITIES SET TO EXPIRE
The Pentagon doubled down Tuesday, saying the possible drones being sighted over New Jersey are not U.S. military assets. (Daniel Slim/AFP via Getty Images; Doug Hood/Asbury Park Press)
On Tuesday, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters the drones are not U.S. military assets, adding that the vast majority of the unmanned aircraft are likely used by hobbyists for recreational purposes.
“Just to kind of put this into context… [there are] over a million drones registered in the United States, and on any given day, approximately 8,500 drones are, you know, in flight,” Ryder said. “The vast majority of these drones are going to probably be recreational or hobbyist. They’re going to be commercial drones…you know, used in things like architecture, engineering, farming, or they could be used for law enforcement.”
Ryder also said, though, that bases like Picatinny and Earle are being outfitted with equipment to better detect, identify and track objects in their airspace as appropriate. If necessary, he explained, the system could have capabilities that employ non-kinetic means to disrupt drone signals, affecting their ability to operate.
Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, who serves as the House Foreign Affairs Committee chair, told C-SPAN on Tuesday that he believes the drones flying over military installations are being operated by the People’s Republic of China.
OFFICIALS RESPOND TO DRONE SIGHTING NEAR MAJOR AIR FORCE BASE IN OHIO: ‘TAKING ALL APPROPRIATE MEASURES’
Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, speaks during a news conference following a House Republican Conference meeting on Capitol Hill. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
“We want answers, but the response that I’m getting is that we don’t know whose drones these are,” McCaul said.
The lawmaker said he learned the drones had been reported over military sites, adding that he would not think those types of drones are friendly, but instead thinks they are adversarial.
“We need to identify who is behind these drones,” he said. “My judgment, based on my experience, is those over our military sites are adversarial and most likely are coming from the People’s Republic of China.”
McCaul further explained that he based his belief that the drones are Chinese operated on the fact that China has purchased land near military bases.
NEW JERSEY REPUBLICAN CALLS FOR ACTION FROM MAYORKAS, AUSTIN OVER MYSTERIOUS DRONES: ‘BRING THEM DOWN’
What appears to be large drones are seen hovering in the Bay Shore section of Toms River, N.J., Dec. 8. (Doug Hood/Asbury Park Press)
Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., spoke to reporters after the House Intelligence Committee’s classified briefing with the FBI, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and CIA on the New Jersey drones.
Houlahan told reporters she was not concerned about any threat and said it was irresponsible for anyone to scare the public about the matter.
“I think the message for the American people is that a lot of people from a lot of different organizations at the federal level are taking this very, very seriously [and] to date they haven’t found anything that would indicate that there’s foreign influence, foreign actors or even little green men who are, are working on the American people. And I think it’s really important that people understand that,” the lawmaker from Pennsylvania said.
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS DOWNPLAY CONCERNS ABOUT DRONE SIGHTINGS: ‘SLIGHT OVERREACTION’
Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., isn’t concerned about drones. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
She continued, saying more work needs to be done, including legislation giving officials the authority to respond to threats of drones with the right technology.
Houlahan pointed out that more drones will begin gracing the airspace, and with it being Christmas, there will likely be more drones under people’s Christmas trees next week.
She stressed that it was important for the American people to know “there is no evident threat coming from any place.”
But she also wanted to stress that the media and public officials have an important role when it comes to drones and the message sent to the public.
“I’m not really sure why some of my colleagues have decided that this is important to scare the public, but I don’t think that that’s a terribly responsible thing to do,” Houlahan said. “Similarly with the media, I don’t think it’s terribly responsible to scare the public.”
Fox News Digital’s Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.
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San Francisco, CA
San Francisco prepares for Bay to Breakers run
This year’s annual Bay to Breakers — the event that’s as much as roving costume party as a 12 kilometer run — is being held on Sunday, May 17. While participants prepare their outfits for the event, San Franciscans prepare for the road closures that accompany the event. Transit officials recommend runners and spectators alike use subways and mass transit, especially on the day of the race.
Denver, CO
Northbound I-25 closed between Denver and Colorado Springs after fatal multi-vehicle crash
Seattle, WA
Health officials track fourth King County resident tied to MV Hondius Andes hantavirus
SEATTLE — Public Health – Seattle & King County officials are monitoring a fourth King County resident for possible exposure to the Andes type of hantavirus linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak, health officials said Friday.
The Washington State Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notified local health officials on May 14 about the additional resident, according to Public Health – Seattle & King County.
RELATED | What exactly is hantavirus and how concerned should Washington residents be?
The resident did not travel on the cruise ship but was aboard a flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam with an ill cruise ship passenger before departure.
Officials said the sick passenger was removed from the aircraft before the flight left Johannesburg and later tested positive for the virus.
The infected passenger began traveling before the outbreak was reported to the World Health Organization.
The King County resident is considered at low risk for infection because they were not seated near the ill passenger, health officials said.
The resident has returned to King County, remains asymptomatic, and is monitoring for symptoms.
Earlier this week, Public Health announced that three King County residents were under monitoring for the Andes type of hantavirus.
Two of those residents had been seated near the infected passenger on the Johannesburg-to-Amsterdam flight. Both have returned home to King County, remain symptom-free, and are monitoring for symptoms in coordination with public health officials.
A third King County resident who was a passenger aboard the MV Hondius is being monitored alongside other American passengers at the national quarantine center at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
Officials said that the resident remains asymptomatic.
Health officials said there are currently no cases of Andes-type hantavirus in King County, and no residents are showing symptoms. The risk to the public remains low, officials said.
“We were informed yesterday of a fourth individual with a low-risk exposure and were able to reach the resident today,” Dr. Sandra J. Valenciano, health officer and acting director for Public Health – Seattle & King County, said in a statement. “All our residents are following public health protocols, and the risk to the King County community remains low.”
Valenciano said monitoring exposed individuals allows health officials to support residents while ensuring early detection and rapid public health response if symptoms develop.
Hantavirus infections are rare but can cause severe illness.
The viruses are primarily spread through contact with wild rodents and exposure to their urine, droppings, or saliva.
According to health officials, the Andes virus is the only known hantavirus capable of spreading from person to person, typically through close physical contact, prolonged exposure in enclosed spaces, or contact with body fluids from an infected person.
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