Lit drones buzzing in New Jersey’s skies have prompted lawmakers to explain what they are. There have been dozens of flights by those drones at night over the last month, prompting concern among officials and residents alike.
They were first spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a US military research and manufacturing facility.
Drones have been spotted around New Jersey
Over the last month, drones not tied to a specific origin have been flying over New Jersey at nighttime.
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Lawmakers have given mixed responses about them, with the state’s governor saying they’re safe, while a Congressman claimed they are part of a wider “Iranian mothership.”
Drones are legal in New Jersey
The buzzing devices are not against the law in the state; they are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use which local and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and flight restrictions must regulate.
Those who operate the drones also need to be FAA certified.
These objects are larger than usual
Many of the drones spotted in the sky in New Jersey appear to be bigger than the usual size people purchase for recreational photography. However, not all of them were larger than usual.
Reports have also claimed that some of the drones were the size of an SUV.
Sightings of aerial devices have increased
Over the past few days, the number of claimed drone sightings has increased. However, officials say it’s possible that the same drone was reported more than once, making it seem there might be more drones than there are.
Officials also said it could be that many of the reported sightings were those of planes, not drones.
Lawmakers spoke about the uncertainty
Speaking with CNN on December 13, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the sightings were “a case of mistaken identity.”
“We have not seen any unusual activity. We know of no threat. We know of no nefarious activity,” he said.
Some of the sightings were of small aircrafts
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas continued, saying, “Technology has not confirmed any drone sighting. In addition, it has confirmed that some drone sightings are in fact small aircraft.”
Mayorkas is not the only one who believes there’s no need to worry. Governor Phil Murphy and local law enforcement officials also said they believe it’s safe.
The FBI has been investigating the drones
The FBI has asked residents to share all photos, videos, and information they have about the buzzing devices as part of its investigation into them.
On December 13, US Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey shared a video of a group of drones on X/Twitter. They were near the Round Valley Reservoir.
Andy Kim shared his worries regarding the drones
In the post on X/Twitter, US Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey wrote, “It’s hard to understand how with the technology we have we aren’t able to track these devices to determine origin and this makes me much more concerned about our capabilities more broadly when it comes to drone detection and counter measures.”
Jeff Van Drew speculated the drones were foreign
New Jersey congressman Jeff Van Drew stated that the public concern was understandable but claimed that the drones came from an “Iranian mothership.”
He said, “I’ve learned, for real, that there is circumstantial evidence that there’s an Iranian mothership off the east coast of the United States, and that’s launching these drone incursions.”
The Pentagon deputy press secretary refuted this theory
Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh responded to Van Drew’s claims, saying that there “is not any 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.”
Singh assured the public that the drones are being monitored and that there is nothing to worry about.
