• Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) claims the U.S. is “10 years behind” China and other adversaries in drone technology development.
• Van Drew accuses the Biden administration of incompetence or a cover-up regarding mysterious drone sightings over multiple states.
• President-elect Donald Trump suggests the government knows more about the drones but is withholding information from the public.
• Concerns grow over national security and transparency as unidentified drones, some “the size of SUVs,” continue to appear in U.S. airspac

U.S. trails China in drone technology, warns Congressman

In a stark warning to the nation, Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) has declared that the United States is lagging behind China and other global rivals in the development and deployment of advanced drone technologies. Speaking to Fox Business this week, Van Drew asserted that the U.S. is as much as “10 years behind” in this critical area of military and technological innovation.

“We’ve got to catch up and surpass where China is,” Van Drew said. “We need to get on with this, and we can do it. But there is no doubt we are behind now.” The congressman attributed this gap to what he described as misplaced priorities, including an overemphasis on social issues like “people’s pronouns and paying for sex changes in the military” rather than maintaining a cutting-edge military.

Van Drew expressed confidence that the incoming Trump administration would reverse this trend, emphasizing the urgent need for the U.S. to regain its technological edge. However, his comments come amid growing concerns over the Biden administration’s handling of a series of unexplained drone sightings across multiple states, which Van Drew has criticized as “terrible.”

Biden regime accused of cover-up over mysterious drones

The controversy deepened when Van Drew accused the Biden administration of either incompetence or a deliberate cover-up regarding the origins and purpose of the mysterious drones. Earlier this month, Van Drew claimed, citing unnamed high-level sources, that the drones originated from an “Iranian mothership” off the eastern seaboard. The Biden administration has denied this claim but has yet to provide a clear explanation for the sightings.

In a December 18 press release, Van Drew lambasted National Security Council spokesman John Kirby for dismissing the drone sightings as routine. “For John Kirby to stand before the American people, red-faced and sputtering excuses, and claim there is nothing out of the ordinary going on here after weeks of mounting concern is either sheer incompetence, willful ignorance, or a cover-up,” Van Drew said.

The congressman highlighted reports of drones “the size of SUVs” and criticized the administration for brushing off legitimate concerns. “If these drones are part of a government operation, we do not need to know every classified detail, but we do deserve some level of transparency,” he added.

Van Drew said these incidents draw parallels to the Chinese spy balloon incident earlier this year, accusing the administration of downplaying threats until they become undeniable. “They downplayed the Chinese spy balloon, assuring us it was not a threat, and then let it drift over our country for weeks collecting intelligence,” he said. “To now dismiss these drones as routine is the height of arrogance and it is disrespectful to the people of America.”

Trump questions administration’s silence

Adding to the chorus of criticism, President-elect Donald Trump has also questioned the Biden administration’s handling of the drone situation. During a mid-December press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort, Trump suggested that the government knows more about the drones than it is revealing.

“The government knows what is happening. Look, our military knows where they took off from,” Trump told reporters. “They know where it came from and where it went. And for some reason, they don’t want to comment, and I think they’d be better off saying what it is.”

While Trump did not confirm whether he had received a classified briefing on the matter, he indicated that he did not believe the drones originated from an adversary nation. However, he criticized the administration for keeping the public in the dark, stating, “Something strange is going on. For some reason, they don’t want to tell the people, and they should.”

Sources include:

ConservativeInstitute.org

WashingtonExaminer.com

Vandrew.house.gov