Wharton, N.J. — For New Jersey residents concerned about sightings of a mysterious car-sized drone over the Garden State, state and federal officials have only one answer: “Fuggedaboudit!” is.
And that's no longer the limit.
Frustration boiled over Wednesday after both the Pentagon and Trenton officials failed to answer worrying questions about a strange object that has been photographed dozens of times around the state in recent weeks.
The sighting led one US lawmaker to suggest that the drone could be an Iranian spy plane and that the military should shoot it down immediately. Some have suggested that China is behind the close encounter off the Turnpike.
“There were a lot of angry legislators and a lot of mayors who were quick to get angry,” state Sen. Doug Steinhardt (R) told the Post after a briefing for lawmakers with state police and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
“And many Americans are scratching their heads trying to figure out what they're doing.”
Officials from Gov. Phil Murphy to the FBI continue to insist there is no danger from drones, but they also say they have no idea what they are.
Officials acknowledged that the aircraft has particularly advanced capabilities, including making it undetectable when pursued by police drones and helicopters.
It will also hover in one place for hours, which is much longer than the battery life of any known civilian unmanned aircraft.
On Wednesday, a Post reporter also saw an object the size of a Honda Fit with flashing white lights drive past a gas station at Picatinny, the U.S. Army's weapons research and manufacturing facility that covers a large tract of land in Wharton. I even witnessed the scene where they were heading to the armory.
Many people suspect that Picatinny is the source of the drone. And we suspect that the military knows exactly what the drone is, but won't reveal it.
“I think the government knows what they are,” said Melissa Ann Pederson, a 46-year-old mother and track coach.
“I think the Picatinny Arsenal is here, and I think that's where it started.”
“They were one of the first to complain about it. Sightings at Picatinny Arsenal started with neighbors, and then Picatinny Arsenal itself started complaining. I heard about them in November. I started listening. Picatinny Arsenal isn't far from here. It's not far at all.”
Pederson himself has seen multiple drones, “huge” objects flying in formation about 50 feet above the ground, covered in red, green and white lights.
“I think we should have an answer to this by now. We've had the technology to track this kind of stuff for decades. What's going on with this? she said.
Local officials told the Post they tend to agree with that explanation. And many sightings from further afield suggest that civilian imitators may be piloting their own drones, or that people may be mistaking planes, helicopters and satellites for UFOs. are.
On Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) cited “highly reliable” intelligence sources saying that drones deployed from a “mothership” stationed off the East Coast were “in Iran's The mystery took an unexpected turn. When contacted by The Post, please mention “Top Security Access.”
“These drones should be shot down,” he explosively told Fox News, adding, “The military is on full alert against this.”
But within hours, the Pentagon flatly condemned Van Drew's claims, insisting there was “no evidence” that the drones belonged to a foreign adversary.
“There are no Iranian vessels off the coast of the United States, and there are no so-called motherships launching drones toward the United States,” the representative told reporters, without offering any insight into what that might be. I moved on to other topics.
The lack of interest and insight has baffled many, including those in the upper echelons of New Jersey law enforcement.
“We are all confused about what is going on,” one New Jersey State Police official told the Post.
“No one seems to be that worried.”
“I've never been in a situation where no one knew what was going on.”
The lack of a coordinated response among federal agencies that protect America's skies and territory is also a problem, the official said.
After Wednesday's meeting with lawmakers in Trenton, Rep. Dawn Fantasia detailed to the X-Post the scope of the situation and the bureaucratic hoops that are preventing local officials from addressing the issue.
Sightings began around November 18, with incidents reported every night since then, continuing into the early hours of the morning.
According to Fantasia, there were 180 reported sightings on one night.
The drones are typically at least 6 feet in diameter and have a range of up to 15 miles while flying for up to seven hours, officials said.
He said state authorities are “shackled” and unable to intercept drones because they fall under federal jurisdiction.
And while the FBI is leading the investigation, DHS may be assisting with assistance from the Coast Guard, but Fantasia said during the briefing that even that federal jurisdiction is “shrouded in mystery. ” he pointed out.
“We know nothing, period. Stating that there is no known or credible threat is incredibly misleading,” Fantasia wrote.
Meanwhile, the FBI continues to say it has no idea where the drones are coming from, but insists there is no danger.
New Jersey Sen. Steinhardt said he felt uneasy after the press conference because of the lack of vigilance from federal agencies and the apparent inability of federal agencies to do anything about the drones. said.
“They keep saying, 'There's no threat,' but we can't find them or track them,” Steinhardt said.
“We're hearing from the Department of Homeland Security that we don't have the technology to detect them, track them, neutralize them or disable them.”
“I think when people say there's no credible threat, they're saying they don't know if there's a threat. That's alarming,” he added, adding that they don't know what's going on. He explained that he wanted to believe the authorities' claims.
“Even if there are people who really know, they won't tell us. I believe [State Police Col. Patrick Callahan]. He is of the opinion that if it had been another government agency, it would have shared that information with him. “I'd like to believe that's true, but…” he said.
Van Drew, who represents Jersey Shore in the U.S. House of Representatives, stood by his statements on Iran and sent a letter to President Biden imploring him to take action and offering “circumstantial evidence” to support his claims.
“We have received information that a sea-based Iranian drone carrier is currently missing from port and that its embarkation schedule coincides with the appearance of the New Jersey drone,” he wrote in a letter obtained by the Post. I did,” he said.
He said Iran had previously sailed ships near the United States and that the country had a “sophisticated” partnership with China over drone technology, including recent technology sales. added.
“And, of course, it is the policy of the Iranian government to bring about the destruction of the United States. I'm open to alternative explanations, but other than that Iran is in control of these drones, there is no reliable and consistent story. Not presented,” Van Drew wrote.
— Additional reporting by Dana Kennedy
