The sightings of what appear to be unidentified drones in the skies above New Jersey and parts of Bucks County continued to be reported this week.
Authorities have confirmed sightings across New Jersey since mid-November. According to officials, several dozens were in Hunterdon County and a handful were over Solebury Township in Bucks County. There have been other sightings in Bucks County, but authorities have released limited details and several law enforcement officials said their agencies received few, if any, reports.
While some sightings are believed to be aircraft or other known objects, authorities continued as of Thursday to look into reports of objects that couldn’t immediately be identified.
NorthJersey.com published a story this week that highlighted experts speaking about possible “mistaken identities” of some objects in the skies.
John Kirby, White House national security communications advisor and retired U.S. Navy rear admiral, addressed the issue at a White House briefing on Thursday.
Kirby assured the public that there is “no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus.”
According to Kirby, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the FBI are working with local law enforcement using detection methods to investigate the growing number of sightings.
The top national security official said the government has confirmed there is no involvement from foreign ships off the East Coast. He added that the government has been unable to confirm “national security or malicious intent or criminal activity” connected to the sightings.
Kirby stated that “there’s a lot more work to be done.”
A statement Thursday evening from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and FBI said federal and local law enforcement have personnel and technology deployed to investigate sightings.
“It appears many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft operating lawfully,” the statement said.
There have been some government-confirmed reports of unknown objects in recent weeks, but the source of the objects were not released or determined, according to past public statements.
U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, who represents New Jersey, posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he went out with police at Round Valley Reservoir in Hunterdon County on Thursday evening. He posted videos showing several objects that didn’t match flight tracking radar and were moving in different directions.
Congressman Tom Kean, a Republican who represents some of the areas where there have been heavy concentrations of sightings, said this week that the issue is a “top priority” and he is seeking answers.
Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, a Republican and former FBI special agent, called on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, FBI, and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to “urgently investigate and disclose information.”
The congressman, a member of the National Intelligence Enterprise Subcommittee on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, posted on social media that he took part in a briefing on the matter and he has concerns. The lawmaker called for increased resources to investigate the sightings.
New Jersey Assemblyman Roy Freiman and Assemblywoman Mitchelle Drulis, who represents parts of Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, and Somerset counties, were briefed by the New Jersey State Police and New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness earlier this week.
“New Jersey will be receiving new technology with drone specific radar from the federal government to assist in the detection,” the Democratic lawmakers said.
New Jersey Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia, a Republican from North Jersey, posted following the New Jersey State Police briefing that officials stated there have been between four to 180 sightings per night, usually from dusk until 11 p.m. She added that a state police helicopter did not detect drones, but such flights were suspended due to safety concerns.
The War Zone, a defense-focused publication that has been covering drone incursions at military bases for more than a year, reported that there has been “considerable and clear evidence” that some of the images posted on social media have been known aircraft.
Tyler Rogoway, the editor of The War Zone, posted on social media this week: “Nearly every video I have seen has pointed to mass hysteria not a drone invasion of massive scale, with airliners, private jets, and helicopters being portrayed as mysterious objects. These videos are peddled for engagement by a growing number of online accounts. This is very unfortunate, because there does seem to be something going on here, but zero critical thought, even on a most basic level of the ‘evidence’ only fuels rumors and fear. It also clogs the channels for relevant evidence to break through.”
A reader of LevittownNow.com, who is a military veteran and certified pilot, emailed the below observation after recent reports. He requested to remain anonymous due to his current work in the private sector. Below are his thoughts on the matter:
“First off, I want to emphasize that if there were a real swarm of drones coming from a Foreign Adversary or a Foreign Terrorist Organization, you would see an immediate response from both the FAA, Law Enforcement, and NORAD (US Northern Command – NORTHCOM). These agencies would enforce airspace restrictions over airports like Newark, Teterboro, Trenton, and any other nearby airports to prevent any risk of collisions. You would also see a major mobilization of federal and state law enforcement as air assets are deployed to track down and locate unknown drones or planes. This is the most heavily policed airspace in the world.
“The idea that there’s some “mothership” off the East Coast launching drones with bright blinking lights to spy on New Jersey and New Hope is, frankly, detached from reality … If this were the work of a foreign country, the potential suspects—like Iran, Russia, North Korea, or even China—don’t have the motive or the capability to carry out something like this on the East Coast. For instance, Iran is tied up in the Middle East crisis, Russia’s resources are stretched thin as they lead their men to death in Ukraine, North Korea doesn’t even have reliable internet, and China is unlikely to stir the pot at a time when they are focused on diplomatic and economic negotiations with Donald Trump.
“Having reviewed some of the videos and reports from North Jersey, many of these incidents appear to be commercial aircraft being mistaken for something extraordinary. People unaccustomed to watching aircraft in the sky might jump to conclusions when it comes to unusual lights. Some reports have varied descriptions from UAPs to more traditional drones and many of these accounts are inconsistent, at best. The range and endurance needed for a drone to fly across the long distances reported in the media would be far beyond what’s available on the commercial market at this time. It would seem impossible for military drones that are operating in the manner made in the reports.
“That said, I won’t dismiss the possibility that some of these sightings could be real unidentified drones. There have been instances of unknown drone activity at military bases in the U.K. and around Langley AFB in Virginia recently. I do believe there are some credible reports from airmen, base security forces, and USCG personnel who have observed strange activity around Ocean County. I’m confident the Department of Defense and other partners are gathering data to track any patterns and electronic emissions from potentially suspicious drones.
“If I had to place a wager, I would say that the vast majority of these sightings are likely just people getting worked up over things like lights in the sky and they are prompted by TikTok videos or sensationalized media reports, or even Congressmen. Maybe 1 in 100 reports might be something genuinely unexplained, but the rest? Probably just people jumping to conclusions and it is not a Klingon invasion of New Jersey.”
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