The night skies over New Jersey have come alight as dozens of mystery drones have been spotted flying over the state, including near United States President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in the town of Bedminster.
The drones, which some residents say appear larger than hobbyist drones – those used for recreational purposes – have been spotted almost every night flying over the northeastern US state since November 18 and were initially sighted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a US military research and manufacturing facility.
So, who is flying these drones and what are they doing above New Jersey?
When and where have the drones been spotted?
In a post on Facebook on December 4, cautioning residents of Florham Park, a borough in New Jersey, about the drones, chief of police Joseph Orlando wrote: “Over the past two weeks, the (drone) sightings have been occurring nightly…beginning just after sunset and lasting well into the early morning hours.” He described the appearance of the drones as “nefarious in nature”.
He also noted that the drones are flying above critical infrastructure such as water reservoirs, electric transmission lines, train stations, police departments and military installations.
On December 5, New Jersey governor Phil Murphy wrote on social media platform X, that “there is no known threat to the public at this time.”
Yesterday I convened a briefing with @SecMayorkas, senior officials from @DHSgov, @NJOHSP, and @NJSP, and members of our congressional delegation to discuss reported drone activity over parts of North and Central New Jersey.
We are actively monitoring the situation and in close…
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) December 5, 2024
Then, on Monday, Murphy told local media that the number of sightings had increased in December. He said there were 49 sightings of drones over the state on Sunday, December 8, alone. But he added that some sightings might have been duplicates.
But some residents including New Jersey Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia, continue to be on edge.
“We know nothing. PERIOD. To state that there is no known or credible threat is incredibly misleading, and I informed all officials of that sentiment,” she wrote on X.
Who is operating the drones?
At the moment, no one in the US, including the Pentagon and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has been able to answer this question.
In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, US congressman Jeff Van Drew said “high-ranking sources” had informed him that “Iran was behind the drones.
“That mothership… is off the East Coast of the United States of America. They’ve launched drones into everything that we can see or hear,” he said.
However, deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters at a news briefing in Washington, DC, on Wednesday this week: “There is absolutely no truth to that.
“There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and there’s no so-called mothership launching drones towards the United States,” she said. She added that, according to the Pentagon’s initial assessment, the drones have not been launched by any “foreign entity”.
Republican Tony Gonzales called the situation “madness” at a Congress hearing on Tuesday in Washington, DC after Robert Wheeler, the FBI assistant director, told Congress at a hearing focusing on the drone case, that the agency did not have any answers on who is behind the flights.
“The bureau is actively investigating the situation….we do not attribute that [the drones] to an individual or a group yet. But I don’t have an answer of who’s responsible…,” Wheeler said.
What do the drones appear to be doing?
It is perfectly legal to fly drones in New Jersey, but there are conditions.
According to local government rules, “drones are permitted in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use but are subject to FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) regulations.” Drones must weigh less than 55 pounds at the time they take off.
There has been no confirmation of whether these drones are larger than this, but Al Jazeera’s Kristen Saloomey, reporting from New York, told viewers: “Mysterious drones as large as a car, which first seemed as a local anamoly, are now capturing the attention of officials.”
It remains unclear what the purpose of these dozens of large drones flying over the state is.
Following a meeting with state police and Homeland Security officials on Wednesday, Assemblywoman Fantasia wrote on X that the drones appeared large (up to 1.8 metres – 6ft – in diameter) and were operating in an “uncoordinated manner”. She added that they sometimes travel with their lights turned off, making them difficult to detect and are flying in an unrestricted airspace.
“(They) appear to avoid detection by traditional methods (e.g., helicopters, radio frequencies),” she wrote on X.
I just left the New Jersey State Police HQ following the briefing of New Jersey State Legislators relating to the unexplained drone sightings in New Jersey.
Might I add – @GovMurphy
was not present. My notes are organized following my take below on the situation.1. We know… pic.twitter.com/kPnFGd5g5u
— Dawn Fantasia (@DawnFantasia_NJ) December 11, 2024
The FAA states that all drones flown at night should be equipped with “anti-collision lights visible from at least three statute miles”.
Fantasia added that at the meeting, authorities noted that the drones fly for “extended periods (6-7 hours) and over a distance of 15 miles (24km)”, prompting further questions about the drones’ technology and intent.
While US Federal authorities scramble for answers about where the drones have been launched from and what their purpose is, residents in New Jersey have been posting videos of the drone sightings on social media.
Some locals are referring to them as “UFOs” (unidentified flying objects) from space, while others questioned if they were jets leaving streams in the sky and pursuing something. Some also told local media channels that they’re “probably being launched from China”.
The backyard skies are lit up like a Christmas tree again tonight. Look at all the air traffic in Succasunna, in Morris County, New Jersey. What are all of these? Some planes- are those two jets leaving streams pursuing something? pic.twitter.com/ez4ztNcSj4
— Paul Gerke (@PaulGerke) December 8, 2024
What will happen now?
Amid the various conspiracy theories, Congressman Van Drew told Fox News on December 10 that “gaps in our (US) airspace are being exploited, and because of it, the safety of Americans is at risk.”
US Senator Cory Booker, who represents New Jersey, wrote on X that he had sent a letter to the FBI and the Departments of Transportation and Homeland Security, demanding “continued transparency and vigilance” while investigations take place.
Al Jazeera’s Saloomey reported that local police in New Jersey have launched their own drones in a bid to obtain more information about the mysterious drones. But she added that, right now, “there are more questions than answers.”
With frustration over the unanswered questions about the drones mounting, some residents and officials have also called on the US military to get involved and shoot down the drones.
However, US laws do not permit this unless authorities identify a specific threat to the public from the drones, which is not the case as yet.
The FBI has asked all residents to report drone sightings directly to the agency and also to send it photographs or videos by email, which the agency says will help their investigation. The US coastguard is also assisting the agency in its investigation.
Meanwhile, the White House has said it is closely monitoring the situation and assured residents that they are not in danger.
Is this the first time the US has experienced an incident like this?
No, it is not the first time mysterious flying objects have appeared in the air.
In February, residents in Montana, a landlocked Western US State, spotted a huge balloon in the sky. It proceeded to traverse across the US, including over some sensitive military sites. After investigations, Pentagon officials revealed it was a Chinese surveillance balloon which was shot down by a US fighter jet.
The Pentagon added that the balloon did not collect any sensitive information, but Beijing expressed regret over Washington’s response and claimed the balloon was a “civilian airship” which was conducting meteorological research.