Military experts say suspicious drone sightings across northeastern states in recent weeks may have come from within the United States.
Civilians and lawmakers have reported drone sightings in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Ohio and other states, but local and federal law enforcement agencies have provided little information about this aerial activity. Most of them are seen at night. According to , some drones can be up to 6 feet in diameter. new jersey State Representative Dawn Fantasia was briefed on the matter last week.
“That concern is definitely valid. One thing I believe is that the government knows the source of these drones, and I believe the government knows the source of these drones, especially large drones. We believe it is from within the United States,” President Col. William Dunn said. from Strategic Resilience Group, a government consulting group, told FOX News Digital. “We believe the drone originated from within the United States because it would be very difficult to fly a vehicle-sized aircraft into the United States without being detected.”
“Large unmanned aircraft need to be refueled,” added Dunn, an attack helicopter pilot who spent 33 years in the Marine Corps. So a six-foot-diameter drone flying over New Jersey would need to be refueled somewhere in the United States. state.
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New Jersey Congressman Paul Kanitra took a photo of what appeared to be multiple drones in the New Jersey sky on December 13, 2024. (Paul Kanitra/“Fox News @ Night”)
“We're very aware of the Air Defense Identification Zone, especially on the East Coast. … It's very difficult to fly anything into the United States. Not impossible, but very difficult,” Dunn said at the time. He spoke while remembering. While he was piloting a Cobra helicopter on an offshore route, he “forgot to properly inform and call the lifeguard.”
“They found me right away,” Dunn said.
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The Marine Corps veteran says it's a different story when it comes to small unmanned aircraft.
This map shows some of the locations where mysterious drones were sighted across the United States in late 2024. (Fox News)
“There are probably U.S. drones and some smaller drones flying for specific purposes. Now, the question is, what are those drones doing? My thoughts So I guess they're watching something,” Dan said. “They're looking for something. Either chemical weapons, biological weapons, or radiation. … You know, there's a lot of talk about the southern border being open, and there's a terrorist threat. There is also a lot of talk that it is imminent.
“They may be using those drones to intercept communications from terrorists.”
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Dunn said another problem with recent drone sightings is that they highlight weaknesses in the U.S. defense.
Social media users said they captured several drones hovering over Fairfield, Conn., Thursday night. (Lucy Biggers)
“We're telegraphing that we don't know where these drones are right now. We're telegraphing that we can fly these drones over U.S. military bases, but we're telegraphing that we don't know where these drones are. Nothing can be done. Now our enemies hear it, they see it. Now they can use drones to fly over it. [a] Dunn attacked the base and did a terrible thing,” he said, later adding that the “Iranian drone threat” was “huge.”
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While authorities could technically shoot down suspicious drones, the drone's debris would have to fall from the sky, putting civilians at risk. But there are ways to neutralize drones by “zapping” them, Dunn said.
Map showing drone sightings around New Jersey
“It may be possible to attack by non-kinetic means,” said a government consulting expert. “It takes out their electricity. Everything needs electricity to fly there. And you can bring it down that way.”
Raj Goyle, CEO of intelligence firm Vodara and former Democratic Kansas congressman, told Fox News Digital that Democratic and Republican lawmakers are coming together to try to determine the source of the drones. He said it was heartening to see. For example, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York recently called on the Department of Homeland Security to deploy 360-degree radar systems that can detect drone activity.
“The real issue just requires more transparency and explanation from the governments involved.”
“Never let an issue go to waste. … And while I don't think there's any reason to think everything is safe and sound, let's use this as a springboard for a discussion that takes that issue up. Who has jurisdiction?” “Does local law apply? Will the FAA enforce it?” Goyle said. “What are the boundaries between states on these issues? It's only going to get bigger from here.”
He added: “The sooner the policy-making world understands this, the better everything will be from a security perspective and from an economic growth perspective.”
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Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (R-Pennsylvania) and Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-New York) sent a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (R-La.). , called out as follows: Create a counter-unmanned aircraft system bill that would give local law enforcement certain authorizations to protect communities from drones.
On Saturday, Biden administration officials hosted a press conference about concerns surrounding recent drone citations.
Social media users said they captured multiple drones hovering over Fairfield, Conn., Thursday night. (Lucy Biggers)
The call included representatives from the FBI, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Security Council, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Department of Defense (DOD). FBI officials said they have received 5,000 tips since the first mysterious drone was seen flying over the Garden State in November. Of those 5,000 tips, less than 100 required further investigation, officials said.
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FBI officials added that despite increased drone activity in recent weeks, investigators have not found evidence of large-scale unmanned drone activity.
“We are doing everything in our power to find the origin of that particular…drone activity,” the official said. “But I think there was a bit of an overreaction.”
Map showing drone density in Monmouth County, New Jersey. (Monmouth County Sheriff's Office)
Echoing comments from FBI representatives, DHS officials said that while they do not dismiss all information about drones as unreliable, “the actual amount of drone activity is less than what is being reported.” It's very likely.”
The Pentagon official added that the agency “has not collected any information or observations indicating that:” [the drones] It is possible that they were collaborating with foreign actors or had malicious intent on their part. ”
“But let me simply say, we don’t know,” the representative said. “We have not been able to locate or identify the operator or source.”
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on the other hand, Department of Defense maintains The FBI said the drones were not foreign, but acknowledged it was “concerning” how little the agency knows about them.
Robert Wheeler, deputy director of the FBI's Major Incident Response Group, told Congress on December 10: “There's nothing known that would require us to say that, but we just don't know, and that's the concern.'' It's the right part,” he said. Asked whether drone sightings posed a danger to Americans, he said:
Asked Thursday if anything had been learned since then, the FBI suggested to Fox News Digital that the phenomenon may not actually be a drone.
A photo taken in the Bayshore area of Toms River appears to show a large drone hovering over the area at high altitude in New Jersey on December 8, 2024. (Doug Hood/Asbury Park Press)
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“At this time, there is no evidence that the reported drone sightings pose a threat to national security, public safety, or have foreign ties. The FBI, DHS, and our federal partners are working closely with the New Jersey State Police. We continue to coordinate and deploy personnel.'' We have the technology to investigate this situation and confirm whether the reported drone flight is actually a drone, a manned aircraft, or some other inaccurate sighting. “It's necessary,” the spokesperson said.
Lawmakers and experts alike have called on federal authorities to release more information about suspected drone activity to allay concerns of the American public and quell unsubstantiated conspiracies.
FOX News' Morgan Phillips, Andrea Margolis and Alex Nitzberg contributed to this report.
