New Jersey’s governor has asked Joe Biden to lead an investigation into the mysterious and frequent appearance of large drones flying over New Jersey, amid growing frustration that federal authorities are downplaying the incident. .
Democrat Phil Murphy said Friday after Pentagon and FBI representatives denied involvement of the U.S. military or hostile foreign actors in numerous sightings of unexplained flying objects in the sky. , released a letter to the White House expressing “growing concerns.” It has been implemented in more than a dozen counties since mid-November.
“It became clear that we needed more resources to fully understand what was behind this activity,” he said. He said in a letter published on the same day that reports of the violation surfaced.
“We respectfully ask that you continue to direct relevant federal agencies to cooperate until we have answers as to what is behind the UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) sightings.”
Reports of drone flights have spiked in recent weeks, including nearly 50 on Sunday night alone, according to NJ.com, and on Thursday the White House dismissed the drone flights as inappropriate. The incident has sparked displeasure among New Jersey politicians and law enforcement. , at least in most cases, “manned aircraft…are operated legally.”
Some reports describe drones as large as cars, sometimes in groups, flying over sensitive military installations and critical infrastructure such as train stations, reservoirs and power plants. In response, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) instituted a flight ban to military installations in Morris County and President-elect Donald Trump’s golf resort in Bedminster.
ABC News reported that at the Navy Weapons Station, a spokesperson said there was no confirmed direct threat, but that personnel were “working closely with federal and state agencies to ensure the safety of personnel and operations.” “I am doing so,” he said.
The White House, Pentagon and FBI have all said they can’t fully explain the origins of drones, but they believe they are not evil.
“There is no evidence that the reported drone sightings pose a threat to national security or public safety or have foreign ties,” Biden administration national security spokesman John Kirby said at a Thursday press conference. “Not at this time,” he told reporters.
He said an unspecified number of still images and video footage of the incident had been analyzed using “sophisticated electronic detection techniques” and there was no proof that a drone was involved.
“In fact, considering the available images, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually legally operating manned aircraft,” Kirby said.
“Importantly, there have been no reported or confirmed sightings of drones in restricted airspace,” it added, seemingly contradicting the account of the intrusion at the naval weapons base.
A joint statement from the FBI and Department of Homeland Security said the investigation in New Jersey “has not revealed any such malicious activity or intent at this stage,” but added that “sightings reported there …It highlights the inadequacies of the current authorities.”
The New Jersey sightings are similar to incidents in Europe in recent weeks involving unidentified aircraft and military installations. The US Air Force base in Ramstein, Germany was reportedly targeted. And last month, several “small unmanned aircraft systems” were spotted over three Royal Air Force bases used by the US Air Force.
Kirby’s comments, effectively ruling out foreign involvement, echoed comments from Sabrina Singh, deputy Pentagon spokeswoman, a day earlier. “Our initial assessment here is that these are not drones or activities coming from a foreign entity or enemy,” she said.
The government’s explanation, or lack thereof, has not impressed politicians, including New Jersey’s Murphy, who are calling for more action to protect the public. Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew told the House Aviation Subcommittee on Wednesday that he believes the drones may be linked to Iran and warned of a potential national security threat. .
Democratic New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim told X on Friday that several clusters of unidentified airships were moving erratically and at low speeds, each emitting flashing red, green and white lights. posted a video. He said he photographed them while accompanying local police on Thursday night, and said the objects did not show up on normal flight tracking devices.
Sightings have spread far beyond New Jersey. Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, tweeted Friday that he “personally witnessed and videotaped what appeared to be dozens of large drones” over his home in Davidsonville on Thursday night. he said, adding that the incident lasted about 45 minutes.
“Like many people who have observed these drones, we do not know whether the increased activity in our skies is a threat to public safety or national security, but the public needs full transparency. “I am increasingly concerned and frustrated by the lack and disregard of the federal government,” he wrote.
“The government has the ability to track these things from where they originate, but the response has been negligent. People are understandably crying out for answers, but we’re not getting any.”
Drone activity has also been seen in some areas of New York. In a tweet posted around lunchtime Friday, the state’s Democratic governor, Kathy Hochul, reiterated the administration’s statement that there is “no evidence that these drones pose a threat to public safety or national security.” State officials said they are working with partners, including the government. The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security “are here to protect New Yorkers.”
Republican politicians in New York, on the other hand, were less receptive. Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella criticized the federal government’s response at a press conference Thursday afternoon.
“What if there were 3,000 sightings of drones or manned aircraft over the U.S. Capitol, the White House, or the Statehouse in Albany? There will be a response,” he said.
“Millions of people around here have only been told, “Don’t believe what you see.” After 9/11, the saying, “If you see something, say something,” When I saw it, I was like, “There’s no need to worry.”
“The people of this city, this state, this region deserve answers about what’s going on.”
