An investigation into large mysterious drones reported flying over parts of New Jersey in recent weeks has revealed that many are actually legally manned aircraft. a White House official said Thursday.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby said there were no reported sightings in restricted airspace. He added that the U.S. Coast Guard has not disclosed any foreign involvement by coastal vessels.
Kirby echoed statements from the Department of Defense and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy, saying, “Reported drone sightings pose a threat to national security or public safety or have foreign ties.” There is no evidence at this time.”
Separately on Thursday, a U.S. senator spoke out about a mysterious drone that was spotted flying over sensitive areas in New Jersey and other parts of the mid-Atlantic region, even though its owner remains unknown. “We will shoot down if necessary,” he called for.
U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut, said Thursday that concerns about drones are spreading across the U.S., calling for a “very urgent intelligence analysis to remove drones from the skies, especially those flying over airports and military bases.” ” he said. Capitol Hill.
State lawmakers briefed by the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday said the drones appear to be evading detection by traditional methods such as helicopters and radios.
In a post on social media platform X, Rep. Dawn Fantasia said the drones can reach up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) in diameter and sometimes fly with their lights off. The Morris County Republican is among several state police and homeland security officials who have met with state police and homeland security officials to discuss a spate of sightings stretching from the New York City area, through New Jersey and into parts of Pennsylvania, including over Philadelphia. He was one of the councilors and local councillors.
Fantasia wrote that the device did not appear to be flown by an enthusiast.
Dozens of mysterious night flights began last month, raising concerns among residents and authorities. Part of the concern stems from the fact that the flying object was first discovered near Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility. Even over Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. Drone use for recreational and commercial purposes is legal in New Jersey, but is subject to local and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations and flight restrictions. Operators must be FAA certified.
Most (but not all) of the drones seen in New Jersey were larger than those typically used by hobbyists.
The number of sightings has increased in recent days, but officials say many of the objects seen may have been planes rather than drones. A single drone may have been reported multiple times.
Murphy and law enforcement officials emphasized that the drones do not appear to pose a threat to public safety. The FBI is investigating and is asking residents to share any videos, photos or other information they have.
Two Jersey Shore-area Republicans, Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew, called on the military to shoot down the drone.
Smith said the Coast Guard commander told him about an incident over the weekend in which more than a dozen drones were “in hot pursuit” of a Coast Guard motorized lifeboat near Barnegat Light and Island Beach State Park in Ocean County. He said he received an explanation.
“Multiple low-level aircraft were observed in the vicinity of one of our vessels near Island Beach State Park,” U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Luke Pineo told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Pineo said the aircraft was not perceived as an immediate threat and did not disrupt operations. The Coast Guard is assisting the FBI and state authorities in the investigation.
In a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Smith said Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst has the ability to “identify and destroy unauthorized unmanned aircraft systems” and requested military assistance to deal with the situation.
But Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters Wednesday that “our initial assessment is that these are not drones or activities from a foreign entity or adversary.”
On Tuesday, senators from New York and New Jersey sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Aviation Administration and the FBI, asking them to explain the drone sightings as soon as possible.
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In a joint letter, Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, Chuck Schumer, Cory Booker, and Andy Kim urged government agencies to “encourage federal and local efforts to identify and address these sources of intrusion.” Please report as soon as possible on how you are working with law enforcement.” ”.
“In addition to the potential privacy concerns raised by these aviation systems, we are also particularly concerned about how these drones may harm public safety.” they stated.
Meanwhile, Democratic Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthy of Illinois told NewsNation on Wednesday that he believes China may be conducting drone attacks inside the United States.
“It’s a non-trivial possibility… It’s definitely a possibility, and it’s very likely that we will then be able to access the data collected by these drones,” he said.
“You can easily imagine these drones flying over sensitive areas of Washington, D.C. airspace,” he added, referring to Chinese drones.
Many local lawmakers are calling for further restrictions on who is eligible to fly unmanned devices. At least one state lawmaker has proposed a temporary ban on drone flights in the state.
“This is something we take very seriously. I don’t blame people for being frustrated,” Murphy said earlier this week. A spokeswoman for the Democratic governor said the governor did not attend Wednesday’s meeting.
Republican Rep. Eric Peterson, whose district includes parts of the state where drones have been reported, said he also attended Wednesday’s meeting at a state police facility in West Trenton. The session lasted approximately 90 minutes.
Peterson said DHS officials have been generous with their time, but dismissed some concerns by saying not all reported sightings have been confirmed as drones. It seemed like he was doing it.
So who or what is behind the flying objects? Where do they come from? what are they doing? “My understanding is that (officials) have no clue,” Peterson said.
