What we know about the mysterious drone flying over New Jersey

Mystery has continued to surround drone sightings in New Jersey for nearly a month, sparking fear among residents and fierce debate about what flying objects are — and whether they are drone or not.

US authorities could not give a definitive answer, saying only that the objects were not believed to pose a danger to the public or national security.

On Thursday, White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters that available images showed that many reported drone sightings were actually manned aircraft.

But some lawmakers have criticized the government’s handling of drones and the lack of information available to the public.

Here’s what we know about the drone and the investigation that followed.

Dozens of drone sightings have been reported in New Jersey since November 18, according to local authorities.

The drones were initially spotted near the Raritan River, a waterway that feeds into the Round Valley Reservoir — the largest in New Jersey, the Associated Press reported.

The scene quickly spread to other parts of the state, including the New Jersey coast.

Several flights were detected near Picatinny Arsenal – a sensitive military research facility – as well as near President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in the town of Bedminster, New Jersey.

In nearby New York City, several drones were reported to have flown over the Bronx on December 12, a police official told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.

Officers responding to the incident saw drones flying overhead but they disappeared shortly after.

Drones have also been reported in other areas of the state, according to New York State Police.

Police in Connecticut also confirmed that “suspicious drone activity” has taken place in various parts of the state. A drone detection system has been deployed around the towns of Groton and New London.

In Maryland, former Republican Governor Larry Hogan claimed he saw dozens of drones flying over his residence in Davidsonville, about 25 miles (40 km) from Washington DC.

“Like many people who have observed these drones, I wonder if the increased activity in our skies is a threat to public safety,” he wrote on X. or national security or not”. about the federal government’s transparency and rejection.”

In late November, the US Air Force also confirmed that unidentified drones had been detected on three US air bases in the UK: RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk and RAF Feltwell in Norfolk.

British defense sources told the BBC that suspicion fell on a “state actor” responsible for the intrusions.

In October, the Wall Street Journal also reported that mysterious drones had been sighted for 17 days near US military facilities in Virginia.

It remains a mystery.

But both federal and state authorities say they do not believe they are dangerous or pose a threat to US national security.

After a briefing with the Department of Homeland Security on December 11, New Jersey Congresswoman Dawn Fantasia said drones appeared to avoid detection by traditional methods such as helicopters and radio.

Fantasia said the drones are up to 6ft (1.8m) in diameter, move with the lights off and “operate in coordination”.

Her comments are in complete contrast to the White House’s claim that this is a “manned aircraft”.

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security also said the majority of sightings were legitimate, manned flights.

No cases were reported in the restricted airspace, the statement added.

If the objects are confirmed to be drones – which at this point remains unclear – it remains unclear who could be controlling them.

Citing anonymous “senior sources,” New Jersey Republican representative Jeff Van Drew said they came from an Iranian “mother ship” in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Pentagon quickly denied the comment, saying “it’s not true.”

“There are no Iranian ships off the coast of the United States and no so-called mother ship launching drones toward the United States,” deputy spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters.

Another lawmaker, Illinois Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi – who sits on the congressional committee that covers the Chinese Communist Party – told media outlet NewsNation that there was a “not insignificant” possibility that China could join.

“It’s certainly a possibility, and the likelihood that they could access the data collected by these drones is very high,” he said.

The Pentagon and the White House both confirmed that these objects were not of foreign origin.

Van Drew and other lawmakers have rejected those denials.

“Here’s the deal: they don’t know what it is,” Van Drew told Fox News. They don’t know what it’s about.” “They don’t know where it came from, but they know what it’s not about? That’s absurd.”

Some lawmakers have suggested that drones should be shot down and analyzed to determine their origin and intentions.

The US Federal Aviation Administration has also established temporary flight restrictions banning drone flights over Bedminster and Picatinny.

In a statement, the FAA also warned that drone operators who engage in unsafe or dangerous operations could face fines of up to $75,000 and have their pilot certificates revoked. drones.

In a letter to US President Joe Biden published on December 13, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy called on federal agencies to “work together” to solve the mystery, as well as push Congress to expand anti-drone capabilities for local law enforcement.

Some residents suggested they could take action against drones themselves.

“A good handgun will solve that problem,” one man commented on a drone video on social media.