What we know about the mysterious drones buzzing over New Jersey

After nearly a month of drone sightings in New Jersey, the mystery continues to spark fear among residents, sparking fierce debate about what the flying objects are and whether they are drones.

U.S. officials were unable to provide definitive answers, saying only that the objects were not believed to pose a danger to the public or national security.

On Thursday, White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters that available footage shows that many of the reported drone sightings are actually manned aircraft.

But some MPs criticized the government’s use of drones and the lack of public information.

Here’s what we know.

Dozens of drone sightings have been reported in New Jersey since November 18, according to local officials.

The drones were first spotted near the Raritan River, a waterway that feeds the Round Valley Reservoir, the largest in New Jersey, the Associated Press reported.

The footage quickly spread to other parts of the state, including the New Jersey coast.

Some of the flights were spotted near Picatinny Arsenal, a sensitive military research facility, as well as President Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey.

A police official told the BBC’s US partner CBS News that several drones flew over the Bronx in nearby New York City on December 12.

Responding officers saw the drones flying overhead, but they soon disappeared.

Drones have also been spotted in other parts of the state, according to the New York State Police.

Connecticut police also confirmed “suspicious drone activity” was occurring in several parts of the state. A drone detection system has been placed around the towns of Groton and New London.

In Maryland, former Republican Governor Larry Hogan claimed to have seen “dozens” of drones over his home in Davidsonville, about 25 miles from Washington, D.C.

“Like many who observe these drones, I do not know whether this increased activity in our skies is a threat to public safety or national security,” he wrote on X. transparency and the dismissive attitude of the federal government.”

In late November, the United States Air Force also confirmed the detection of unidentified drones at three US air bases in the United Kingdom: RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, and RAF Feltwell in Norfolk.

UK defense sources told the BBC that a “state actor” was suspected of being responsible for the attacks.

In October, the Wall Street Journal also reported that mysterious drones were seen near US military facilities in Virginia for 17 days.

In a call with reporters, officials from various U.S. agencies tried to reassure people that drones are not the work of a foreign actor or a national security threat.

“I think it was a bit of an overreaction,” an FBI official said.

While officials downplayed public concern, they reiterated that investigations into the drone sightings were still ongoing.

“We certainly understand why people are concerned. That’s one of the reasons we’re dedicating significant resources,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said.

“It is also important to understand that we do not have any current evidence of a threat to public safety,” DHS added.

Both federal and state officials have said they do not believe the drones are dangerous or pose a threat to U.S. national security.

Drones avoid detection by traditional methods such as helicopters and radio, New Jersey assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia said after a Dec. 11 briefing with the Department of Homeland Security.

The drones are up to 1.8m in diameter, operate with the lights off and “work in a coordinated manner,” Fantasia said.

His comments stand in stark contrast to the White House, which maintains these are “manned aircraft.”

The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security also said the majority of the sightings were legal, manned flights.

None were reported in restricted airspace, the statement said.

More and more people are using drones, which means more people are noticing them in the sky, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Friday.

He added that although drones can be flown in most locations below 121 m (400 ft), drones cannot fly within controlled airspace around an airport without FAA permission; on designated facilities sensitive to national security; at certain military bases, infrastructures and national landmarks; and in airspace covered by temporary flight restrictions.

If the objects are confirmed to be drones (which they are not at this time), it is unclear who is operating them.

New Jersey Republican representative Jeff Van Drew said they came from an Iranian “mother ship” in the Atlantic, citing unnamed “higher sources.”

The Pentagon quickly rejected this comment, saying “there is no truth to this.”

“There are no Iranian ships off the coast of the United States, and there are no so-called mother ships launching drones at the United States,” deputy spokesperson Sabrina Singh told reporters.

Another lawmaker, Illinois Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi, who sits on a congressional committee examining the Chinese Communist Party, told media outlet NewsNation there is a “non-trivial” chance China could get involved.

“That’s definitely a possibility, and there’s a very good chance they’ll then be able to access the data collected by these drones,” he said.

The Pentagon and the White House insisted that the objects were not of foreign origin.

Van Drew and other lawmakers pushed back on those denials.

“Here’s the thing: they don’t know what it is. They don’t know what it’s about,” Van Drew told Fox News. “They have no idea where it’s from, but do they know what it’s not about? This is ridiculous.”

In a separate incident across the country, on Dec. 11, a Northern California man was accused of flying a drone over Vandenberg Space Force Base near Santa Barbara and taking photographs.

The incident allegedly occurred on November 30, according to prosecutors.

Yinpiao Zhou, a 39-year-old Chinese national, was arrested just before boarding a flight to China. He appeared in court on Tuesday and no plea was taken.

There is no suggestion that the incident is related to the numerous drone sightings reported on the east coast.

Some lawmakers have suggested that drones should be shot down and analyzed to determine their origin and intent.

Among them is President-elect Donald Trump, who suggested on the Truth Social media platform that drones cannot fly without the government’s knowledge.

“Let the public know immediately,” he wrote. “Otherwise shoot them”.

The US Federal Aviation Administration also imposed temporary flight restrictions banning drone flights over Bedminster and Picatinny.

In a statement, the FAA also warned that drone operators carrying out unsafe or dangerous operations could face fines of up to $75,000 (£59,000) and have their drone pilot certificates revoked.

In a Dec. 13 letter to U.S. President Joe Biden, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy called on federal agencies to “work together” to solve the mystery and also to push Congress to expand counter-drone capabilities to local law enforcement.

Some residents suggested they might take action against the drones themselves; authorities strongly warned against doing this as it was illegal.

“A good shotgun will solve this problem,” one man commented on the drone video on social media.