It has been nearly a month since drones were first reported hovering over multiple New Jersey counties, and there is still no clear answer as to who is controlling the aircraft.
The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security issued a joint statement on Thursday, stating that there is no evidence that the drones pose a threat to national security or public safety.
The FBI and DHS said they were working with New Jersey authorities and had reviewed drone images. The aircraft appear to be manned and flying legally in the area, according to the agencies. There have been no reports of drone sightings in restricted airspace, they said.
The joint statement clarified that there was no evidence of malicious activity or intent. “While there is no known malicious activity occurring in New Jersey, the reported sightings there do, however, highlight the insufficiency of current authorities.”
White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby expressed similar sentiments to reporters Thursday, adding that the drones residents have spotted are not US military drones and do not appear to be from a foreign country or entity, according to the Asbury Park Press, a member of the USA TODAY network.
However, New Jersey Assemblyman Paul Kanitra claimed that the DHS told legislators something very different on Wednesday, according to the Asbury Park Press.
Kanitra stated that officials gave legislators specific information about the drones this week, including the fact that they fly in swarms.
Officials also stated that the drones can fly for six to seven hours and that their battery life is “extraordinary,” and that the federal government’s radar, an electro-optical infrared camera, did not detect the drones. Normally, the camera can detect drones from 1 to 2 miles away, or 10 miles for larger airborne vehicles.
“If it was ours or our government’s, we think we’d know,” Kanitra said, quoting a source.
Here’s what happened prior to the White House’s announcement about the drones this week.
When were the drones first spotted?
According to witnesses and lawmakers, the drones are large, 6 feet in diameter, and typically fly at night between dusk and 11 p.m., according to the Asbury Park Press.
We first spotted the drones on November 18 and have seen them several times since.
Initially, the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office stated that law enforcement officers saw the drones. The prosecutor’s office stated that there was “no known threat to public safety” at the time.
The Federal Aviation Administration also stated that it initially did not find any evidence of drone activity.
Which agencies are investigating?
Though it is unclear who is operating the drones, investigating agencies include local and state officials in New Jersey, the FBI, DHS, and the FAA.
The United States Northern Command “conducted a deliberate analysis of the events, in consultation with other military organization and interagency partners,” a spokesperson for the command told the Asbury Park Press, but it had not received a request for assistance with the drone investigation.
The command, for its part, “will continue to assess further information and is prepared to respond when asked or should the situation escalate to threaten any Department of Defense installations.”
Where have the drones been spotted?
Homeland Security officials confirmed this week that an unmanned craft flew over Naval Weapons Station Earle, Picatinny Arsenal, and the National Guard, according to the Asbury Park Press.
According to the newspaper, more than a dozen drones followed a 47-foot Coast Guard boat late Sunday night, harassing the crew.
New Jersey Assemblyman Greg Myhre stated that during a briefing on Wednesday, State Police Superintendent Pat Callahan mentioned a State Police helicopter hovering over one of the drones.
The drone’s lights turned off once the helicopter hovered over it, Callahan explained in the briefing. The helicopter then backed away for safety reasons.
Also on Wednesday, Rep. Jeff Van Drew told Fox News that the drones could be coming from an Iranian ship “off the East Coast of the United States of America,” which officials have since denied.
Van Drew declared, “We should shoot down these drones.” “We should shoot down these drones, whether it was some crazy hobbyist we can’t imagine, or whether it’s Iran, which I think it very possibly could be.”
Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh stated on Wednesday that state and local authorities are in charge of taking any action against the drones.
“That’s a decision for local law enforcement,” Singh told the audience. “If a drone—or, you know, any activity—is a threat to military installations, they always have the right to self-defense.”
