This photo provided by Brian Glenn shows what appears to be multiple drones flying over … [+]For weeks, citizens across New Jersey — as well as New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut — have reported seeing clusters of drone-like objects flying low in the sky at night, yet information remains scarce, even as state officials now say they’ve seen the drones firsthand, received mixed information from federal agencies and pushed the FBI for answers.
Key Facts
Connecticut state Sen. Tony Hwang released a statement Friday saying there were “sightings of possible unauthorized drones” in Fairfield, Connecticut, saying the state must be “proactive, not reactive” in getting answers, even if it means “shooting drones down.”
Michael Melham, the mayor of Belleville, New Jersey, told Fox News the state’s Office of Emergency Management urged him to “immediately call the [county] bomb squad” if there is a “downed drone” nearby and that the fire department was “instructed to wear hazmat suits” around any fallen drone, saying it’s unclear if the drones have a “payload.”
Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., accompanied local police Thursday night, posting several videos on X of the drone clusters he recorded, and describing them doing maneuvers that are uncharacteristic of planes.
Kim wrote the inability to identify the objects after weeks of this activity “makes me much more concerned about our capabilities … when it comes to drone detection and counter measures.”
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy repeated his call for more federal support Thursday as reports of these drone sightings continued without explanation.
The reports started when New Jersey police announced Nov. 19 that officers had witnessed “drone activity” the previous night over Morris County, in the state’s northwest corner, and said they would investigate the activity, noting rumors were “spreading on social media” though there was “no known threat to public safety.”
In the weeks since the first sightings, social media posts have spread, with one describing the drones as “large and loud,” and many users have posted videos showing lit objects hovering in the sky at night.
A New Jersey police chief in a press conference described the drones as the size of a car and bigger than the standard drones available for amateur drone flyers; sightings have been “occurring nightly for the past two weeks beginning just after sunset and lasting well into the early morning hours” Joseph Orlando, the chief of police in Florham Park, New Jersey, said in a statement on Dec. 4.
The Federal Aviation Administration responded in early December by implementing and later extending “temporary flight restrictions” on drone use over the Picatinny Arsenal military base and Bedminster, which is home to President-elect’s Donald Trump’s golf club.
On Dec. 3, the FBI joined several New Jersey police investigations, announcing a public request for more information on the observed “cluster of what look to be drones and a possible fixed-wing aircraft.”
News Peg
Trump on Friday suggested without evidence that the federal government isn’t telling the public everything it knows about the drones, and called for them to be shot out of the sky if that isn’t true. The claim, made on Truth Social, echoes those of other politicians like Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., who said the drones should be taken “out of the skies,” and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., who said she does not believe the U.S., “with its military capabilities, does not know what these objects are.”
What Exactly Do We Know About The Drones?
Almost nothing, New Jersey Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia said on X Wednesday. Fantasia’s post was a lengthy summary of a legislative meeting with the Department of Homeland Security about the mysterious sightings. She described the government’s investigation strategy, which includes a coordinated effort led by the FBI with state police, the Office of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard. She described the dozens of nightly sightings as “coordinated” operations of drones “up to 6 [feet] in diameter” flying for six to seven hours—distances of 15 miles—unrelated to “hobbyists” or the Department of Homeland Security, which “appear to avoid detection by traditional methods (e.g., helicopters, radio frequencies).” They also reportedly aren’t related to military operations, the Picatinny Arsenal said in a statement to NJ Advance Media on Nov. 24.
Where Have The Drones Been Spotted?
Drones have been spotted in at least 12 New Jersey counties, NJ.com reported. There have also been reports of unidentified drone sightings over Staten Island, in New York, while more sightings occurred in Philadelphia and Fairfield, Connecticut. Drones have been spotted near the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, Malliotakis said. On Friday, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan posted a video on X of alleged “large drones” in Davidsonville, Maryland. Elena Russo, a spokesperson for Maryland State Police, declined to provide additional information. Officials at Naval Weapons Station Earle told ABC News on Friday there have been “multiple” reports of the unidentified drones over the New Jersey naval base but did not say when or exactly how many. Florham Park’s Chief Orlando said in the Dec. 4 statement the drones have been “reported above critical infrastructure such as water reservoirs, electric transmission lines, rail stations, police departments and military installations.”
Are The Drones Considered A National Security Threat?
The FBI and DHS released a statement on Thursday saying the investigation has “no evidence at this time” of “malicious activity” in New Jersey or a “national security or public safety threat.” The statement adds they have not identified “a foreign nexus” for the drones and will continue the investigation. It also said many of the drone sightings have been “cases of mistaken identity,” confusing drones for lawful, identified aircraft. John Kirby, the White House’s national security communications advisor, reiterated the FBI’s statement at a briefing Thursday and said officials “have not been able to…corroborate any of the reported visual sightings.”
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