Gotham has Batman, but New York wants Robin.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said this weekend that the Department of Homeland Security should send special drone detection technology from Robin Radar Systems to New York and New Jersey after a series of mysterious sightings.

“If there’s the technology that can get a drone into the sky, there’s certainly the technology that can precisely track the craft and determine what the hell is going on,” Schumer told reporters on Sunday.

Schumer said he is requesting Robin’s equipment in part because it uses “not a linear line of sight, but rather 360-degree technology, which has a much better chance of detecting these drones.”

In recent years, Netherlands-based Robin Radar Systems has gained traction, although its hardware is used for more than just drone tracking.

According to the Dutch Space Agency, Robin is part of a consortium developing small radar satellites that can measure water levels. In February, the company also deployed four bird detection radars to help build what it claims is the world’s greenest wind farm in the Dutch part of the North Sea.

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In early October 2023, Robin announced that it had joined a group of organizations working to develop the world’s most advanced weather radar called PHARA. The group’s mission is to “develop a fully 3D weather radar that can accurately track the movement and growth process of cloud particles and large-scale weather fronts.” “Detecting small objects is our job and what we do best.” the company says on its website. “Bird, bat or drone, our 360° radar systems log thousands of observations and scan every second to precisely track and classify them.”

Robin’s systems have also been used in at least one notable military context. In early August, the Dutch Defense Ministry announced that it had purchased 51 drone radars from the company and planned to donate them to Ukraine as President Volodymyr Zelensky’s forces try to repel Russia’s air campaign.

In a press release announcing the purchase, Robin explained: “Traditional radar systems are typically stationary and mounted on fixed platforms such as buildings or tripods.” But the radar systems manufactured by Robin have “on-the-move” functionality, which allows them to function “even when mounted on mobile objects such as vehicles or ships.”

“Robin’s 3D drone detection radars … are expressly designed to detect small, fast and elusive drones,” the company said.

The use of Robin technology could come as a relief to residents of the New York and New Jersey areas, who have been rocked almost every night for weeks by the bright, unidentified flying objects hovering over their homes.

The objects have appeared in the sky since at least November 18th. It remains unclear who is operating the devices. The Pentagon has insisted that the objects are not military property.

In an interview with NBC News on Monday, Kristian Brost, general manager of Robin Radar Systems, said the company’s radars can detect a drone in the sky, but “we can’t tell you who is flying it (or) from which country.” she is coming.”

Schumer’s request to Homeland Security came two days after New York Stewart International Airport was closed after several drones were spotted nearby. The Democratic lawmaker told reporters it was “remarkable” that “with the growing number of mysterious sightings, we have more questions than answers.”

“Some of the drones are small. “Some drone flight patterns are erratic,” Schumer said. “Multiple drones flying at the same time can confuse a traditional radar system, and so in turn this new technology can really give us the answers we need.”

Schumer said he is working to pass legislation that would give local law enforcement “more drone detection tools.” Currently, only federal agencies have the legal authority to search for drones. The Democratic lawmaker’s office did not immediately respond to an email Monday seeking more information.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, meanwhile, said late Sunday on X that he had met with state police officials and radar technicians who are “scanning the area for unmanned aerial systems.”

“The public deserves clear answers – we will continue to press the federal government for more information and resources,” Murphy said.