Large drones have been spotted flying over the US for weeks, and state and federal officials say they still have no idea who is behind the flights
By Jeremy Hsu
12 December 2024
Unidentified drones have been flying over US military sites
U.S. Navy/Ensign Drew Verbis
Mysterious drones have been swarming the night skies above New Jersey and other nearby states for a month. They have been spotted over several US military sites. They have been videoed over houses and apartment buildings. A swarm was seen following a US Coast Guard rescue boat at the same time that New Jersey police reported 50 drones arriving on land from the ocean. But no one seems to know who is piloting them, or whether it is a coordinated effort.
The incidents have drawn the attention of state governors and legislators, as well as members of the US Congress, and the FBI has launched an investigation, asking for the public to report sightings.
Read more
Drone versus drone combat is bringing a new kind of warfare to Ukraine
Advertisement
Witnesses describe the drones as being as loud as lawnmowers, with some approaching the size of a small car – significantly larger than a typical quadcopter or multirotor drone that anyone can purchase. “These are not necessarily just small, hobbyist unmanned aerial systems that you can buy for $2000,” says Daniel Gerstein at the RAND Corporation, a think tank in California. “These feel like they have longer range and are more sophisticated than what you can get at a hobby shop.”
Blurry nighttime videos have popped up all over social media sharing drone sightings in states such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York, including one video showing drones over the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in New York City. The Federal Aviation Administration issued drone flight restrictions over the Trump National Golf Club and the Picatinny Arsenal Military Base in New Jersey after reports of drone activity over both. The sightings coincide with other drone swarms recently appearing near UK military bases where US Air Force squadrons operate.
On 10 December, the House Committee on Homeland Security held a hearing on drone threats with officials from the FBI, US Customs and Border Protection and US Department of Justice. The officials described the recent sightings as involving a possible mix of both rotor drones and fixed-wing drones but had little information to offer about what the drones are doing and who may be operating them. However, they said the drones do not yet represent a serious threat. In a separate briefing from the US Department of Homeland Security, the agency told lawmakers that some of the sightings may have mistaken aircraft for drones.