For weeks, citizens across New Jersey — as well as New York and Pennsylvania — have reported seeing clusters of drone-like objects flying low in the sky at night, yet information remains scarce, even as state officials now say they’ve seen the drones firsthand, received mixed information from federal agencies and pushed the FBI for answers.
This photo provided by Brian Glenn shows what appears to be multiple drones flying over … [+] Bernardsville, N.J., on Thursday, Dec. 5.
Associated Press
Key Facts
Michael Melham, the mayor of Belleville, New Jersey, told Fox News the state’s Office of Emergency Management urged him to “immediately call the [county] bomb squad” if there is a “downed drone” nearby and that the fire department was “instructed to wear hazmat suits” around any fallen drone, saying it’s unclear if the drones have a “payload.”
Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., accompanied local police Thursday night, posting several videos on X of the drone clusters he recorded, and describing them doing maneuvers that are uncharacteristic of planes.
Kim wrote the inability to identify the objects after weeks of this activity “makes me much more concerned about our capabilities … when it comes to drone detection and counter measures.”
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy repeated his call for more federal support Thursday as reports of these drone sightings continued without explanation.
The reports started when New Jersey police announced Nov. 19 that officers had witnessed “drone activity” the previous night over Morris County, in the state’s northwest corner, and said they would investigate the activity, noting rumors were “spreading on social media” though there was “no known threat to public safety.”
In the weeks since the first sightings, drones have been spotted in at least 12 New Jersey counties, and social media posts have spread, with one describing the drones as “large and loud,” while many users have posted videos showing the lit objects hovering in the sky at night.
A New Jersey police chief in a press conference described the drones reported as the size of a car and bigger than the standard drones available for amateur drone flyers; sightings have been “occurring nightly for the past two weeks beginning just after sunset and lasting well into the early morning hours” Joseph Orlando, the chief of police in Florham Park, New Jersey, said in a statement on Dec. 4.
The Federal Aviation Administration responded in early December by implementing and later extending “temporary flight restrictions” on drone use over the Picatinny Arsenal military base and Bedminster, which is home to President-elect’s Donald Trump’s golf club.
On Dec. 3, the FBI joined several New Jersey police investigations, announcing a public request for more information on the observed “cluster of what look to be drones and a possible fixed-wing aircraft.”
What Exactly Do We Know About The Drones?
Almost nothing, New Jersey Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia said on X Wednesday. Fantasia’s post was a lengthy summary of a legislative meeting with the Department of Homeland Security about the mysterious sightings. She described the government’s investigation strategy, which includes a coordinated effort led by the FBI with state police, the Office of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard. She described the dozens of nightly sightings as “coordinated” operations of drones “up to 6 [feet] in diameter” flying for six to seven hours—distances of 15 miles—unrelated to “hobbyists” or the Department of Homeland Security, which “appear to avoid detection by traditional methods (e.g., helicopters, radio frequencies).” They also reportedly aren’t related to military operations, the Picatinny Arsenal said in a statement to NJ Advance Media on Nov. 24.
Where Have The Drones Been Spotted?
There have been reports of unidentified drone sightings over Staten Island, in New York, while another sighting occurred in Philadelphia. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., said on Dec. 10 the drones were spotted near the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. On Friday, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan posted a video on X of the alleged “large drones” in Davidsonville, Maryland. Elena Russo, a spokesperson for Maryland State Police, declined to provide additional information. Officials at Naval Weapons Station Earle told ABC News on Friday that “multiple” reports of the unidentified drones have appeared over the New Jersey naval base but did not say when or exactly how many. Florham Park’s Chief Orlando said in the Dec. 4 statement the drones have been “reported above critical infrastructure such as water reservoirs, electric transmission lines, rail stations, police departments and military installations.”
Are The Drones Considered A National Security Threat?
The FBI and DHS released a statement on Thursday saying the investigation has “no evidence at this time” of “malicious activity” in New Jersey or a “national security or public safety threat.” The statement adds they have not identified “a foreign nexus” for the drones and will continue the investigation. It also said many of the drone sightings have been “cases of mistaken identity,” confusing drones for lawful, identified aircraft. John Kirby, the White House’s national security communications advisor, reiterated the FBI’s statement at a briefing Thursday and said officials “have not been able to…corroborate any of the reported visual sightings.”
Do The Drones Come From An Iranian Ship?
No, according to the Pentagon. On Wednesday, Jeff Van Drew, R-NJ, said in an interview with Fox News, “Iran launched a mothership, probably about a month ago that contains these drones.” He explained the “mothership” was near the country’s Eastern coastline. In response, Sabrina Singh, the Pentagon’s deputy press secretary, rebuffed the claim. “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,” Singh told reporters at the Wednesday briefing.
What Have Officials Said About Investigation?
More than 20 mayors across New Jersey signed a letter on Dec. 9 petitioning for “transparency” about the investigations. Gov. Murphy spoke during a bill signing Monday, saying “it’s really frustrating that we don’t have more answers as to where they’re coming from and why they’re doing what they’re doing.” He added the drones are “sophisticated” and “go dark” after someone sees them, and he urged more federal involvement. Lawmakers held a hearing on Tuesday to discuss the drones. Several representatives expressed frustration at not having answers or insight into the investigation from the FBI investigation. At the hearing, Rep. Chris Smith, R-NJ, advocated for a broader action and described it as “serious.” Jon Bramnick, R-NJ, urged for a “limited state of emergency” to be implemented. Robert Wheeler, the FBI assistant director leading the investigation, said at the hearing the agency is “actively investigating” the drones and that it is “concerning” that there are no clear answers yet. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told reporters on Thursday these unidentified drones should be “shot down, if necessary.” Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-NY, Sen. Cory Booker, D-NJ and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, have also all made statements in recent days calling for more information about the reports. On Friday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul acknowledged “New Yorkers have spotted drones in the air this week” and the state is investigating with “federal partners”
Tangent
Drones have also been spotted flying over four U.S. Air Force bases in the U.K., the New York Times reported on Nov. 27, with the Air Force saying in a statement the drones have not impacted the bases and a Defense Department official saying officials were “continuing to look into it.”
Big Number
3,000. That’s how many sightings have been reported to an FBI tip line established for the drone sightings. Gov. Murphy said New Jersey saw 49 on Sunday alone, saying these sightings could have been the same drone being reported more than once.
Key Background
Drones are allowed in New Jersey for personal use and commercial projects. The state requires drone pilots to get a certification and follows federal guidelines around the acceptable use of drones. Drones must also stay within view of the flyer, according to the FAA rules. Commercially available drones typically have a short battery life and often can only last 10 minutes to about one hour in the air. If an unknown flyer isn’t following these rules, it can be complicated to take the drone down. One example of this came in 2023 when unidentified aircraft were spotted and investigated by the U.S. Air Force in 2023 at the Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, the Wall Street Journal reported. Laws around airspace can be complicated. Generally, it’s illegal for citizens to take down another’s drone, NJ.com reported, citing a Federal Aviation Administration expert. According to federal laws, the military can only take down drones by military bases if the drones exhibit a clear threat, and spying isn’t one, the Journal reported. The Journal also reported that technological solutions for taking down the Virginia drones, like signal jamming or destructive technology, would have been risky for citizens and planes. After these drone appearances, the Pentagon released a classified new approach to dealing with these issues, Fox News reported.
