Multiple states on the East Coast and beyond have released reports of mysterious drone sightings in the past few weeks, fueling questions and conspiracy theories about what they are, their purpose and who might be operating them.
The details, so far, suggest many cases of misidentification — and no signs of danger. In a statement in response to the scene in New Jersey on Thursday, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) emphasized that there “No evidence” drones “poses a national security or public safety threat or has a foreign relationship,” matched the Pentagon’s previous statement. In a statement Monday, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby reiterated this point, noting that Sightings included commercial drones, hobby vehicles, law enforcement drones, aircraftHelicopters, and they are mistaken as drones. As federal authorities have previously stated, their investigation revealed that many of the sightings “In fact, manned aircraft operate legally“
Incidents of “mistaken identity” are rampant, especially on social media. After investigating drone sightings in his home state, New Jersey Sen-elect Andy Kim concluded that many of the sightings he saw were “Almost certainly the plane“It’s also surprising that more people are watching drones,” a Pentagon official noted Monday.Thousands of drones fly around the United States every day“
State leaders and congressional lawmakers have expressed concern Lack of available information on drone viewing And requested that the federal government learn and share more. President-elect Donald Trump also chimed in, complaining that the federal government has more information It did not reveal.
These gaps in information are largely responsible for increasing anxiety around the sightings: while many are believed to be legitimate aircraft, the lack of a clear explanation has left residents unsettled. And while the federal government has played down concerns that the planes are a security threat, officials haven’t offered much explanation for who is responsible for them and what they’re doing.
There is information we still don’t know about drone sightings and what exactly is behind them. However, here’s what we do know.
What’s going on – and where is it showing up?
Reports of drone sightings first began in New Jersey Mid Novemberand was initially centralized In Morris County, in the northern part of the state. In recent weeks, they have also arrived from other New Jersey towns, including BedminsterWhere Trump has a golf course and Colts NeckWhere Naval Weapons Station Earle is located.
Since then, it has been spotted in at least five other states, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania. On Friday night, drones were spotted near New York’s Stewart International Airport in the Hudson Valley, prompting state transportation authorities. Its runway was closed for an hour. A drone was also reportedly seen flying over a house Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Thursday nightIn a cluster of 10 to 15 vehicles, and Friday near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, the facility forced Its airspace is closed for four hours.
A variety of events are shown, including photos and videos of sights A number of bright planes are hovering On a neighborhood or a A single celestial body travels at night. It is not yet clear if these visions are linked or if they are separate from each other.
Are these really drones?
According to federal authorities, there appears to be a mix of different aircraft at sight, including both drones and passenger aircraft. Officials say many of the reports they’ve evaluated were of planes operating as usual.
DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas noted in an interview with ABC News on Sunday that a fraction of those sightings were drones, while the rest were likely airplanes or other aircraft that were misidentified. “Some of these drone sightings are actually, drones,” Mayorkas said. “Some manned aircraft that are commonly mistaken for drones.”
Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Monday that the presence of drones — including at nearby military bases — was not unusual because most of these aircraft are now in the skies. “As a result, seeing drones in the sky is not unusual, nor is it indicative of malicious activity or any public safety threat,” he told reporters.
more than 5,000 tips they received Of those flights, officials have deemed about 100 worthy of a follow-up investigation, federal authorities said at a press briefing Saturday.
Who is behind them?
Sabrina Singh, the Pentagon’s deputy press secretary, told reporters there was no evidence the drones were being operated by a foreign adversary or the US military. Comment last Wednesday.
Singh’s statement came as Republican lawmakers, including Reps. Jeff Van Drew and Chris Smithsuggested that the drones could be deployed by foreign governments such as China, Iran, North Korea or Russia.
It wouldn’t exactly be unprecedented — though not a drone, a Chinese surveillance balloon was shot into US skies in 2023, sparking a brief diplomatic crisis. China described the balloon as “mainly civilian” in purpose, but its flight path took it over “many sensitive locations”. According to the Pentagon.
While federal authorities insist that the drone sightings of 2024 are not a similar phenomenon, Kirby notes that they come from an array of commercial, law enforcement and civilian sources.
One explanation for some of the increased activity may be new rules, announced in 2023, that allow drones to fly at night. Mayorkas also told ABC News.
Did they cause any problems?
Some drones, such as those near Stewart International Airport and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, prompted officials to briefly close the runways and airstrips associated with those facilities.
The FAA also announced Temporary flight ban Drones were seen flying over Trump’s Bedminster golf course and Picatinny Arsenal military base in Morris County, New Jersey, both.
Officials stressed, however, that there is no indication that these drones pose a danger to the public.
Several arrests have also been made due to drone operations. In Boston, two men were arrested Saturday for operating a drone.”dangerously closeAt Logan International Airport. And in California, a Chinese national and legal US resident was arrested on December 10 Flying a drone over Vandenberg Space Force Base and taking pictures Nov. 30 in Santa Barbara County.
What is the government doing about this?
Federal authorities said they are closely monitoring the reports and are sending specialized drone detection systems to New Jersey and New York to help state efforts.
State leaders, however, including New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and New York Gov. Cathy Hochul, have previously expressed frustration at the speed and lack of transparency of the federal response. Both Murphy and Hochul pressed President Joe Biden, with the former asserting that “Residents deserve more specific informationBeyond what federal authorities provided.
“While I am deeply grateful for your administration’s leadership in addressing this issue, it has become clear that more resources are needed to fully understand what is behind this activity,” Murphy wrote. Trump also accused the military and federal government of “not wanting to.”[ing] to comment,” while allegedly knowing more about what’s going on than has been revealed to date.
How should people respond when they are concerned?
The FAA encourages people to contact local law enforcement if they believe a drone is flying unsafely or poses a threat.
Law enforcement officials have discouraged drone-spotters from taking matters into their own hands, however. Warning of shooting from dronesOr what people believe to be drones, are dangerous and illegal. A drone, for example, could pose a safety hazard if it fell on people or property after being shot down, in addition to the danger of shooting down a misidentified manned aircraft.
These warnings come after Trump previously said that the solution to these drone sightings is “Shoot them down!!!If the government fails to provide more information about their motives and origins.
What next?
The House Intelligence Committee is expected to receive one Classified Briefing Tuesday on the issue, and members of Congress are calling on the federal government to share as much information as possible about the sightings with the public. For now, however, there’s nothing to do but wait — and hopefully we’ll learn more soon.
