A few weeks ago residents of New Jersey spotted unidentified drones in the skies, some believing it was a UFO but the authorities still have no clue.
Dismissing the case of the possibility of an Iranian “mothership” being responsible, which Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-NJ, proposed, White House spokesperson John Kirby said that the Coast Guard has confirmed that there is no evidence of any foreign-based involvement from coastal vessels.
In a presser, Kirby said, “We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat or have a foreign nexus. The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI are investigating these sightings, and they’re working closely with state and local law enforcement to provide resources, using numerous detection methods to better understand their origin.”
“Using very sophisticated electronic detection technologies provided by federal authorities, we have not been able to — and neither have state or local law enforcement authorities — corroborate any of the reported visual sightings. To the contrary, upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully,” he added.
He also noted that the US authorities is taking the threat seriously that can be posed by unmanned aircraft systems and that is why law enforcement and other agencies continue to support New Jersey and investigate the reports, “even though they have uncovered no malicious activity or intent at this particular stage.”
Kirby urged Congress to pass important legislation that will extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities so that the authorities are better prepared to identify and mitigate any potential threats to airports or other critical infrastructure and so that state and local authorities are provided all the tools that they need to respond to such threats as well.
Earlier, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh stated, “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 further noted there is “no evidence” suggesting foreign adversary involvement.
Van Drew contested this on Fox News, stating, “We aren’t being told the truth. They are dealing with the American public like we’re stupid.”
While the Pentagon denies foreign involvement, the FBI has expressed concern about their limited knowledge. During a Congressional hearing on Tuesday, FBI Assistant Director Robert Wheeler acknowledged uncertainty about potential risks.
The FBI later suggested to Fox News Digital that the sightings might not be drones at all. A spokesperson explained they lack evidence of national security threats or foreign connections, noting that many reported sightings appear to be lawful manned aircraft.
The drones have been observed near sensitive locations, including a military research facility. Doug Birkey, executive director of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, highlighted outdated detection systems as a potential issue in tracking these objects.
The sightings began on November 18, with nightly observations continuing until about 11 p.m. Reports vary from four to 180 sightings per night. According to state Rep. Dawn Fantasia, the objects are “six feet in diameter” and operate in coordination with lights off.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy maintains there is no public safety threat. However, similar incidents have occurred previously, including drone sightings near Langley Air Force Base last year and the Chinese spy balloon incident.
Pramod Abichandani, an NJIT drone expert, noted these operations violate numerous FAA regulations. The situation remains unresolved, with some officials, including Fantasia, calling for military intervention.