Speaker 1 (00:00):
Back to the drones. Can you unequivocally say that none of the drones that are being spotted are DOD assets, or something that's being tested within the Defense Department? Are all of these either civilian or otherwise, but just not Department of Defense drones?
General Patrick Shanahan (00:20):
You're talking about the drones-
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Yeah, we've seen all of the-
General Patrick Shanahan (00:21):
… in New Jersey, up and down the… Yes, they are not DOD assets.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
None of them are?
General Patrick Shanahan (00:26):
To my knowledge, none of them are.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Okay. And are there any sort of experimental programs going on, where maybe drones are being tested?
General Patrick Shanahan (00:34):
To my knowledge, no.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Okay. What about the ones that are flying over military bases at this point? Have there been any possibilities of collecting what sort of information these drones are doing, or anything like that?
General Patrick Shanahan (00:47):
Yeah, again, just to kind of put this into context, and I know that our colleagues at the White House, FAA, DHS, FBI, have all made this point. So over a million drones registered in the United States. And on any given day, 8,500 drones are in flight. And so the vast majority of these drones are going to probably be recreational or hobbyist. They're going to be commercial drones used in things like architecture, engineering, farming, or they could be used for law enforcement. Is it possible that some of those drones could be up to malign activity? It's entirely possible, but the vast majority, that is not the case.
(01:36)
And in the case of drones flying near or over US military installations, that in and of itself, just given the volume of drone flights we see on a given day is not something that's new. We take all of those seriously. We will typically, when we detect them, attempt to classify them and take appropriate measures. Is it possible that some of those are surveilling? Absolutely. But can you make that assumption in every case? Not necessarily. So in each case, commanders have the authority. Installation commanders and authorities have the authority to respond appropriately, and we'll continue to do that.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
Okay, just one other topic. Ukraine, did the US have any role at all, either providing intelligence or otherwise, in what looks like a targeted killing of the Russian General?
General Patrick Shanahan (02:26):
Yeah. I can tell you we were not aware of this operation in advance. We do not support or enable those kinds of activities. I've seen the reports. Don't really have any information to provide other than what I've seen in the press. So I'd have to refer you to the Ukrainians on that.
Speaker 2 (02:44):
Pat, last year, USTRANSCOM and US Air Mobility Command signed an agreement with a group called the National Aerospace Research and Technology Park. This is in Atlantic County, New Jersey. And the agreement was to create a test and evaluation corridor for UAS, Unmanned Aerial Systems and advanced air mobility. Is it possible that these drones that are being seen in New Jersey are part of that corridor that was created a year ago, to test these kinds of drones and unmanned systems?
General Patrick Shanahan (03:20):
Yeah. I know you're not going to be surprised by this, but I've had some of your other colleagues reference that press release. I did check with the joint staff to see if that was possible, and again, received confirmation. No military operations, no military drone or experiment operations in this corridor.
Carla (03:40):
Thanks, Pat. Going back to Russia, the general who was assassinated in Moscow, how significant is that? Do you think that's going to change Russia's calculus at all in the war with Ukraine? And what comments do you have on the accusations that he was responsible for the use of chemical weapons in Ukraine?
General Patrick Shanahan (03:59):
I'd refer you to Russia to talk about the potential impact. Again, I won't speak for Ukraine. Clearly this is a senior commander within the Russian military, overseeing significant capabilities. But again, like I highlighted, or where those reports looking into them, but that's about all I'm going to have.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
On drones for a second. What was the thinking behind sending additional detect and track systems to Picatinny Arsenal and Naval Weapon Station Earl? And are there other facilities that might get more of these systems in the future?
General Patrick Shanahan (04:35):
Yeah, so a couple of things. So first of all, again, a lot of focus on this right now for all the obvious reasons, some of which includes those sitting in this room here, so we're going to take this seriously. So ensuring that installations, in this case, Picatinny and Earl, have the capabilities they need to detect, to identify and track as appropriate in the event there's drone activity near those facilities. To your other question, this is exactly what the counter unmanned system strategy that DOD put out recently talks about is, looking at what are those priority installations? What are the trends when it comes to unmanned systems, or unmanned aerial systems as well? And what does the DOD need to be doing in order to address that issue? Particularly when it poses a potential threat to our personnel or installations.
(05:39)
The thing is that I think we've all recognized the fact that unmanned systems are here to stay. They're a part of modern warfare, and whether it's here in the homeland or overseas, we want to make sure that we're doing due diligence to protect our forces, and protect our equities from a national security standpoint. So I think you'll see us continuing to look at that, and it's something we're going to continue to take seriously.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
What systems are being sent, and when will they arrive?
General Patrick Shanahan (06:10):
So in addition to some of the capabilities that are already on these installations, these capabilities essentially will enhance space authorities' ability to detect, identify, track UASs. So for example, this could include active or passive detection capabilities, plus capabilities like the system known as drone busters, which as you know, employs non-kinetic means to interrupt drone signals, affect their ability to operate. Kelly?
Speaker 4 (06:40):
You mentioned that it wasn't all that unusual to see some drones over military bases. You mentioned this is becoming more and more of a common occurrence in the use of drones, but what would constitute it as a threat? What is the benchmark? And have you been communicating with other military installations to be ready for more of these drones, and how to spot if it could be a threat, before it might be too late?
General Patrick Shanahan (07:03):
Yeah. Again, it won't surprise you. This is not a new conversation for us within DOD. As I highlighted, drones flying, whether here or overseas, is not something new, and especially in the United States with a million registered drones and 8,500 flying on any given day. Similar to vehicles that may inadvertently approach a base, the same can be true for drones. As to what constitutes a threat, that obviously has to be assessed on a case by case basis, depending on what the drone is doing, where it's going. So I'm not going to provide a blanket definition. But again, the idea here is that by providing training capabilities, resources, commanders are able to assess and make those determinations. The other thing that I think it's very important to remember is that when we're here in the
General Patrick Shanahan (08:00):
Homeland, the authorities that the US Military has to detect and track these kinds of things is much different than it would be if we were in a combat zone. In other words, the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities that we can employ outside the United States are much different for very good reasons. We don't collect intelligence on American citizens. And so that, of course, appropriately requires to work very closely with local, state, and federal authorities, law enforcement authorities when necessary to address these threats.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
And you mentioned the White House and the administration did share a bit of their assessment of what these drones are, but we know lawmakers are being briefed on Capitol Hill and members of the public, this isn't really sitting well with them. They aren't really taking this explanation for those that really saw these drones with their own eyes. So what would you say to them?
General Patrick Shanahan (08:53):
Well, again, I definitely don't want to minimize the significant interest and the concern that people have, but again, I think in the way that you now have this modern technology and the ability, you could go out of here right after this briefing and go and buy a drone and you could fly it around your neighborhood. And as long as you're flying it appropriately and not in restricted airspace, there's nothing illegal about flying that drone. So again, just providing some perspective here.
(09:25)
And I think the statement, the joint statement that we put out, highlighted that the assessment in terms of what these reported sightings could be in terms of a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft. Again, don't want to minimize it, but I think it's important to understand too, just the volume of drone activity that will likely only increase into the future and the fact that it is legal to fly drones, and if they go into restricted airspace, of course we'll take appropriate action.
Speaker 5 (10:02):
Just why does it have to be a classified briefing if these are just hobbyist drones, they're not military drones, why is it a classified briefing on the Capitol Hill?
General Patrick Shanahan (10:13):
I'd have to refer you to Congress on that. Again, sharing as much information as we can here. I don't have the briefing in front of me, so I can't tell you specifically what aspects are classified or not. I can assure you though, that again, we are sharing as much information as we can based on what we know. Let me go to the other side of the room here. Chris.
Chris (10:35):
Thanks, Pat. Two questions on drones. One, there's a particular interest perhaps by us, but also from the US government regarding the drones in New Jersey. Does the Pentagon have any indications that those drones in New Jersey are somehow different in size, activity, et cetera, than the drones that have been spotted at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Hill Air Force Base, and other locations in the past few days?
General Patrick Shanahan (11:00):
Chris, what I would tell you is we don't see a connection at this point between any of those activities. Again, just taking a step back here, 8,500 drone flights a day, but again, don't see a connection at this stage.
Chris (11:15):
And then my second question, has the Pentagon determined who was responsible for the drone incursions over the bases in the UK over the past [inaudible 00:11:25]
General Patrick Shanahan (11:25):
Yeah, to my knowledge, still being looked at. I'd have to refer you to the UK MOD and US Air Forces in Europe. Jeannie.
Speaker 6 (11:34):
Thank you, General. Two questions on South Korea and China. First question, on China's espionage using drone and China conducted this criminal… espionage activities using drones on US aircraft carriers and military facilities anchored in South Korea. What message do you want to send to China, which poses a security threat to many allies?
General Patrick Shanahan (12:08):
What's the message to China?
Speaker 6 (12:10):
Yes.
General Patrick Shanahan (12:11):
Look, Jeannie, I'm not going to get into any specific operations overseas other than to say we take force protection operation security very seriously. We value the partnerships that we have with our allies throughout the Indo-Pacific region and worldwide as we work together towards our mutual security interests. And so wherever there is a potential threat, we of course will take measures to mitigate, but I'll just leave it there.
Speaker 6 (12:42):
On South Korea, the security vacuum is in chaos due to the president suspended his work and military leadership also as well as suspended. Is there any disruption in the US-South Korea Alliance and who is the Secretary Austin, the current dialogue partner?
General Patrick Shanahan (13:11):
Yeah, so right up front, I would say, and you've heard Secretary Austin say this, the alliance between the United States and the ROK is ironclad. We continue to remain committed to peace and security of the Korean Peninsula, and our combined defense posture remains strong. I know that General LaCamera spoke with the acting Republic of Korea president on Sunday. He emphasized the strength of the alliance and reaffirmed commitment to pre-planned training and exercises. He also spoke with the acting Minister of Defense on Thursday on the same topic. So don't have anything to read out right now in terms of potential phone calls with Secretary Austin and the acting defense minister in the future, but certainly we'll keep you updated. Let me go to Eunice.
Eunice (13:57):
Thank you very much, General. The Turkish defense minister says Ankara had proposed to Washington that they can assign three commander brigades to help fight Daesh and also in controlled prisons where ISIS militants and their families are held. Those are your biggest concerns right now, especially after the fall of the Assad regime. So this is your NATO ally saying that surely if there was such a partnership between the US and Turkey, these are the two largest militaries within the alliance. Why not just team up? Is it just lack of trust, you just don't believe them or you like to specifically work with the SDF?
General Patrick Shanahan (14:30):
Yeah. Thanks for the question, as you highlight, Turkey is a very valued NATO ally, and we continue to keep lines of communication open as it relates to the situation in Syria, as it relates to regional security interests like ISIS. I don't have anything to announce in terms of any changes in US force posture or how we're approaching the defeat ISIS mission, but I'm confident that we'll continue to keep having those conversations with Turkey and other regional partners on this issue.
Eunice (15:02):
Just one follow up, please. The Turkish foreign minister just on the same day said that the YPGs called me the SDF. Will either dissolve itself or be destroyed in Syria. Is the United States going to militarily step in? I've asked this question before because Turkey stresses it very clearly that they're going to be destroyed, or you can work with us and we can sort out the Daesh problem in Syria. How do you approach this statement then, like this behavior?
General Patrick Shanahan (15:30):
Yeah, I don't have a comment to provide on the foreign minister's comment. What I would say is what I've relayed before, which is that the SDF remains an important partner. I think it's important to remember what Daesh or ISIS is capable of as we've seen in the past, and we all have a vested interest in ensuring that they cannot resurge. And so I know, again, we're speaking with our Turkish counterparts and others in the region
General Patrick Shanahan (16:00):
… as it relates to the challenges associated with ISIS, as well as the SDF and the continued important role they play in preventing a resurgence of ISIS. And so we'll continue to have those conversations and I'll just leave it there.
Speaker 7 (16:18):
No problem [inaudible 00:16:19].
General Patrick Shanahan (16:20):
Let me get to a couple of other folks here real quick. Let me go to Jeff Schogol, Task & Purpose.
Jeff Schogol (16:26):
Thank you. Have any of the drone sightings been accompanied with sightings of a large, rectangular black object, sometimes called a monolith, often accompanied by Also sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss?
General Patrick Shanahan (16:40):
Yeah, thanks, Jeff. I would probably have to think back to the words of a very wise prophet, Obi-Wan Kenobi, who said, "These aren't the drones you're looking for." But beyond that, I'll just have to move along.
(16:58)
Okay. Let me go to Howard Altman, War Zone.
Howard Altman (17:01):
Thanks. Well, that was hard to top. I got two questions, one on the drones and one on Syria. I know you told Chris that you're not seeing any connections, but in terms of visual or sensor data of the drones that have been seen over the US bases, both CONUS and OCONUS, what similarities are you seeing in visual and sensor data?
(17:27)
My question on Syria is, Mazloum Abdi, the head of SDF, is proposing a proposal to establish a demilitarized zone in Kobani with the redistribution of security forces under American supervision and presence. Is the US familiar with this, and does the US have any ability to have additional forces or additional presence in that region? Thanks.
General Patrick Shanahan (17:56):
Yeah, thanks, Howard. On your first question, I'm not going to have any information to provide in terms of sensor data, other than, again, as I highlighted earlier, we are employing a variety of both passive and active sensors in order to detect as it pertains to DOD installations. And of course, we're not the only ones in this business when it comes to US civil airspace. It'd certainly refer you to DHS and FAA on that front.
(18:31)
As far as Kobani goes and the ceasefire discussions between groups that are there and the SDF and others, that's something that we're obviously monitoring closely. As I highlighted to your colleague, I think we all have a vested interest in ensuring that groups in the region capitalize on the situation here to enable the people of Syria to be able to have a better life than they did under the Assad regime. But as it relates to the US force presence in Syria, it is focused on the Defeat ISIS mission. And so that continues to be our focus, and I'll just leave it there.
(19:11)
Let me come back into the room. Noah.
Noah (19:14):
CENTCOM didn't specify where the strikes took place yesterday within Syria [inaudible 00:19:18] American equipment was used. Do you have anything more on that?
General Patrick Shanahan (19:21):
What I could tell you, Noah, is the … You're talking about the counter-
Noah (19:26):
That's right.
General Patrick Shanahan (19:26):
… counter-ISIS, defeat ISIS strikes. Yes, those were in the Badiya Desert. What I'm tracking is it was four separate locations, and CENTCOM assesses that 12 ISIS members were killed.
Noah (19:41):
Thank you.
General Patrick Shanahan (19:43):
John.
John (19:44):
Thank you, General. North Syria, again, we know that you are actively involved in negotiation between the Free Syrian Army and the SDF, especially in the area of Manbij. But other than that, in the south, in cities like Raqqa and Deir ez-Zur, there are a lot of protests against the SDF. And especially the Arab population in this area, they claim that the SDF was collaborating with the Assad regime and they see them as complicit. And after the fall of the regime, they want them out of their neighborhood.
(20:21)
What do you say about these requests from the local Syrians in those areas, and do you think that will create a possible threat for US forces?
General Patrick Shanahan (20:33):
Well, as I'm sure you can appreciate, I'm not going to delve into domestic Syrian politics, other than to say, again, we recognize the situation right now in Syria is fragile, particularly as it relates to the post-Assad regime. US forces have been working closely with the SDF for years now on the defeat ISIS mission, and that continues to be our focus.
(21:02)
I won't speak for the SDF or what the local population may or may not be saying, other than, again, I think we all have a vested interest in ensuring that ISIS is not allowed to regroup and resurge and return to the kinds of activities that we saw previously.
(21:18)
Got time for just a couple more.
John (21:19):
[inaudible 00:21:20]. Yeah, I have another question. The leadership of the Assad regime, most of them who are criminals involved in slaughtering their own people, and very possibly in the future there will be courts against these names.
(21:37)
We know Bashar al-Assad flew right away to Moscow, but rest of his team, do you have any idea how did they get out of the country or do you follow any intelligence about personalities like Maher Assad, his brother?
General Patrick Shanahan (21:51):
Yeah, I don't have anything to provide from the podium here. Let me go to Mike.
Mike (21:55):
Thank you, General Pat. One question on Syria. Since last week, the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army and militants are amassing around the controlled areas of SAF. Are you engaging with Turkey on this, and do you think a Turkish incursion into northeast of Syria is imminent?
General Patrick Shanahan (22:19):
Again, I won't speak for Turkey in terms of what they may or may not do. And then, I'm sorry, the first part of your question, negotiating with who?
Mike (22:28):
Yeah, like the Turkish-backed forces around Kobani, amassing around Kobani, to invade at Kobani. Are you engaging with Turkey on this?
General Patrick Shanahan (22:38):
Again, I think I already addressed this. Broadly speaking, the US is communicating with Turkey about the situation in Syria writ large and keeping lines of communication as it relates to the post-Assad regime, trying to ensure that the people of Syria are able to experience security and stability. But from a US military standpoint, our focus in Syria continues to be on the enduring defeat of ISIS.
(23:07)
Okay. Let me get to Jim and then I'll come to you and then we'll close it up. Jim. All right, [inaudible 00:23:13].
Jim (23:12):
Just to Syria, again, given all the unrest and the counter-ISIS mission there, are the US forces able to pursue that mission? And is the force protection measures, given the unrest, adequate for what's happening now?
General Patrick Shanahan (23:32):
Yes. I mean, as evidenced by the counter-ISIS strike we took a couple days ago, so yes, they are able to conduct their mission. And of course, as it has always been, force protection remains a top priority for our forces in Syria.
Jim (23:48):
There are no plans to add more forces there?
General Patrick Shanahan (23:51):
I don't have anything to announce right now in terms of change of force posture. Carla.
Carla (23:55):
Thank you. You've made it very clear that we are in Syria, the US is in Syria,
Carla (24:00):
… to counter ISIS. You've said that several times. But our partner in that fight is the SDF and the commander is now saying that he wants to propose a demilitarized zone because of these tensions with Turkey and is asking for American supervision and presence. So is the Pentagon willing to consider that proposal to have US boots on the ground in place to help that demilitarized zone?
General Patrick Shanahan (24:27):
Carla, as I'm sure you can appreciate, I'm not going to make policy from the podium here. Obviously we continue to communicate very closely with the SDF as our defeat ISIS partner, but I'm not going to have any updates on in terms of change of mission right now. Last question, Mike.
Mike (24:44):
I know you're hoping for a drone question, so let me oblige you.
General Patrick Shanahan (24:50):
Okay.
Mike (24:50):
You say that there are sightings of… Why do most of the sightings seem to be around New Jersey? I mean, it's the Garden State and all, but what is so special about New Jersey that it's getting most attention from this? I've never seen drones here. I've never seen them flying around Virginia. And second question, drone-related question. I know you're developing the military's ability to detect drones, are you also working on their ability to defeat drones in the air?
General Patrick Shanahan (25:21):
Yeah, absolutely. To answer your last question. And I would encourage you to go take a look at the counter unmanned strategy that we put out just last week that talks about the approach that we're going to take. And that includes the ability to defeat drones, both kinetically and non-kinetically. And so again, looking at places like Ukraine, we've seen the impact that drones can have on the battlefield. And so it's something that the department's taking very seriously.
(25:56)
As for your question, in terms of the preponderance of reported sightings in the New Jersey, Northeast Corridor, I can't answer that question, Mike. Again, personal experience, I have seen drones in DC. I've seen personal drones flying around. And as I've mentioned from this podium before, one of my close relatives is a private drone operator and I'm sure some of that person's neighbors have often wondered what that drone is doing. So without taking a holistic snapshot of every single privately operated drone across the United States, some of which can be that big, some of which can be that big, it's hard to know specifically why at this point in time. And again, as was highlighted in the joint statement, the current assessment explains what we think most of those are, to include piloted manned aircraft.
(26:54)
The last thing I would say on it, again, completely understand the concerns, completely will reinforce we're taking this seriously. Sometimes when you focus on something, suddenly you notice more. And so there's always the potential that because of the heightened awareness, now we're just more aware of this particular issue. But again, we'll continue to take this very seriously. We'll continue to take appropriate action if and when it's deemed that any of these drones near US military installations pose a threat. But in the meantime, again, I think it's been very clear that we've not identified that any of these reported drone sightings were assessed as anomalous or that it presented a national security or public safety risk over civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the Northeast. All right.
Speaker 8 (27:48):
You're ruling out, Pat, that this is part of this testing corridor between Dover Air Force Base and Joint Base McGuire?
General Patrick Shanahan (27:54):
Yes. Thank you. All right.
Speaker 9 (27:55):
Can I ask you a follow up? I apologize, it's based off his question.
General Patrick Shanahan (28:00):
No, you just came in the briefing room so-
Speaker 9 (28:02):
Negative, I came in-
Speaker 10 (28:03):
He's been here the whole time.
General Patrick Shanahan (28:04):
You flew in on your drone?
Speaker 9 (28:07):
But thank you. That's normally my pattern. But you talked about the military bases. Has there been a surge in counter detection equipment that has been sent to military bases? I'm aware that DHS has sent other equipment to the New Jersey area. Does any of that include DOD equipment or is that strictly all DHS?
General Patrick Shanahan (28:27):
As I highlighted earlier for Picatinny, we did send some additional active and passive detection capabilities as well as some counter drone capabilities. And Earle. Those are the only ones I'm tracking right now. But again, if we need to look at other installations, we certainly can, but I don't have anything else to-
Speaker 9 (28:51):
When you say active and passive, I mean that is just strictly detection or is it actually to bring drones down?
General Patrick Shanahan (28:57):
So active and passive detection, different methods to be able to detect drones using different capabilities. So passive measures would essentially be, it just has the ability to receive signals without emitting signals, whereas active would be like radar, I bounce the signal off and it bounces back. And then separate from that would be counter UAS capabilities, things like the, let me make sure I get the name right here, Drone Busters, which essentially emits a signal which is able to interrupt the signal on the drone, which can affect its flight. So that's a methodology that we have that is able to essentially bring drones down non-kinetically should we need to do that.
Speaker 9 (29:49):
Anything in the DHS equipment similar to this or is that-
General Patrick Shanahan (29:52):
I mean I'd refer you to them, but the short answer is yes. Okay. All right. Thanks very much everybody. Appreciate it.
Speaker 11 (29:56):
[inaudible 00:30:08].