Mysterious drones have been spotted in the US for a month: what we know

Officials deny the UAVs are foreign and say they pose no threat, though they do not explain their origin. Trump calls for the drones to be shot down.

Officials deny that the UAVs are foreign in origin and say they pose no threat, although they do not explain their origin. Trump calls for the drones to be shot down.

Residents of New Jersey, as well as a number of other states, have been observing flights of unknown drones for almost a month. They are worrying people and sparking heated debate about what the flying objects actually are – and whether they are drones at all. 

The authorities were unable to give a definitive answer, noting only that it is believed that the objects do not pose a danger to the public or national security. On Thursday, White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters that available imagery suggests that many of the reported spotted drones are in fact manned aircraft.

But some lawmakers have criticized the government for the lack of information available to the public and for its cavalier attitude toward the mysterious drones. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has already called for shooting them down.

“Mysterious unmanned aerial vehicles all over the country. Could this be happening without our government’s knowledge? I don’t think so! Let the public know, and let them know now. Otherwise, shoot them down!” he wrote on his social network Truth Social.

The flights of the UAVs, which are much larger than conventional commercial drones, are observed by New Jersey residents mostly at night. Several drones have also been spotted over the Bronx in New York City, and they have been seen in Connecticut, Virginia, and Maryland.

At the end of November, the US Air Force confirmed that unidentified drones had been spotted over three US air bases in the UK: RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk and RAF Feltwell in Norfolk.

UK defense sources told the BBC that a “state actor responsible for the intrusion” is suspected.

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

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released a statement saying that people are noticing more drones in the sky as their use becomes more popular.

They emphasized that no incidents have been reported in closed airspace and also denied that these drones pose a threat to national security.

A number of congressmen have suggested that China or Iran are behind the launch of the drones. However, the Pentagon and the White House insist that these objects are not of foreign origin.

Congressmen also suggest that these drones should be shot down and analyzed to determine their origin and intentions.

On December 13, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy sent a letter to President Joe Biden calling on federal agencies to “work together to solve this mystery” and asked Congress to give local law enforcement the authority to fight drones.

Some residents said they could take action against the drones on their own. However, the authorities have so far categorically warned against this, insisting that it is illegal.