RICHMOND, Va. — In light of reports of drones being seen up and down the East Coast, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin released a statement on Saturday saying that the Commonwealth had repeatedly sought out information and what they got back was "insufficient."
Over in Virginia Beach, Naval Air Station Oceana officials confirmed on Friday they are aware of reports of people seeing drones flying near the naval base. Still, they said that "nothing unusual or unscheduled was detected."
NAS Oceana officials told 13News Now it works closely with federal and state agencies to ensure the safety of personnel and operations. They also said the community should report any suspicious activity near the base to local police. Observations can also be reported to the Virginia Fusion Center at VFC@vfc.vsp.virginia.gov or (877)4VA-TIPS.
U.S. Senator and Senate Armed Services Committee member Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said he is "concerned" about ongoing reports of unidentified drones flying over U.S. air space. For 17 consecutive days last December, drones were spotted near or over Langley Air Force Base in Hampton.
However, Youngkin stated in a news release on Saturday that the federal government has not been forthcoming with information on the sightings.
“The Commonwealth of Virginia is home to a significant number of national security and critical infrastructure sites upon which our nation depends each and every day. I remain deeply concerned that Virginia has consistently sought information from federal partners, and to date, the information shared with the Commonwealth has been insufficient," he said.
Youngkin continued by saying, "The Virginia State Police Homeland Security Division and Virginia Department of Emergency Management continue to closely coordinate through our Fusion Center with the greater law enforcement and first responder community regarding drone activity in the Commonwealth. We will continue to engage with numerous federal partners and release further information as it becomes known and available."