Topline
For several weeks, citizens across New Jersey — as well as New York and Pennsylvania — have reported seeing clusters of drone-like objects flying low in the sky at night, and state officials have asked the FBI for answers as information remains scarce about the continued sightings.
NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – JUNE 19: New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy speaks before signing an executive … [+] order for a new clemency program that will pardon thousands. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Key Facts
New Jersey police announced on Nov. 19 that officers had witnessed “drone activity” the previous night over Morris County, in the state’s northwest corner, and said they would investigate the activity; they noted rumors were “spreading on social media” and said there was “no known threat to public safety.”
In the weeks since the first sightings, drones have been spotted in eight New Jersey counties and social media posts have spread, with one describing the drones as “large and loud,” while many users have posted videos showing the lit objects hovering in the sky at night.
A New Jersey resident told NJ.com he had seen the drones every night, and a New Jersey police chief described the drones as the size of a car and bigger than the standard drones available for amateur drone flyers in a press conference.
In December, reports of unidentified drone sightings appeared over Staten Island, in New York, with one resident telling NBC he observed dozens of drones with lights, while another sighting occurred in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Sightings have been “occurring nightly for the past two weeks beginning just after sunset and lasting well into the early morning hours” and have been “reported above critical infrastructure such as water reservoirs, electric transmission lines, rail stations, police departments and military installations,” Joseph Orlando, a police chief in Florham Park, New Jersey, said in a statement on Dec. 4; Nicole Malliotakis, R-NY, said on Dec. 10 the drones were spotted near the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
The Federal Aviation Administration responded in early December by implementing and later extending “temporary flight restrictions” on drone use over the Picatinny Arsenal military base and Bedminster, which is home to President-elect’s Trump National Golf Club Bedminster.
On Dec. 3, the Federal Bureau of Investigation joined several New Jersey police investigations, announcing a public request for more information on the observed “cluster of what look to be drones and a possible fixed-wing aircraft.”
Drones have also been spotted flying over four U.S. Air Force bases in the U.K., the New York Times reported on Nov. 27, with the Air Force saying in a statement the drones have not impacted the bases and a Defense Department official saying officials were “continuing to look into it.”
What Have Officials Said About The Drones?
The Picatinny Arsenal said in a statement to NJ Advance Media on Nov. 24 that the drones were not related to the military and that it was contributing to the investigation. More than 20 mayors across New Jersey signed a letter on Dec. 9 petitioning for “transparency” about the investigations. Gov. Murphy spoke during a bill signing Monday, saying “it’s really frustrating that we don’t have more answers as to where they’re coming from and why they’re doing what they’re doing.” He added the drones are “sophisticated” and “go dark” after someone sees them, and he urged more federal involvement. Lawmakers held a hearing on Tuesday to discuss the drones. Several representatives expressed frustration at not having answers or insight into the investigation from the FBI investigation. At the hearing, Rep. Chris Smith, R-NJ, advocated for a broader action and described it as “serious.” Jon Bramnick, R-NJ, urged for a “limited state of emergency” to be implemented. Robert Wheeler, the FBI assistant director leading the investigation, said at the hearing the agency is “actively investigating” the drones and that it is “concerning” that there are no clear answers yet.
Big Number
3,000. That’s how many sightings have been reported to an FBI tip line established for the drone sightings. Gov. Murphy said New Jersey saw 49 on Sunday alone, saying these sightings could have been the same drone being reported more than once.
Key Background
Drones are allowed in New Jersey for personal use and commercial projects. The state requires drone pilots to get a certification and follows federal guidelines around the acceptable use of drones. Drones must also stay within view of the flyer, according to the FAA rules. Commercially available drones typically have a short battery life and often can only last 10 minutes to about one hour in the air. If an unknown flyer isn’t following these rules, it can be complicated to take the drone down. One example of this came in 2023 when unidentified aircraft were spotted and investigated by the U.S. Air Force in 2023 at the Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, the Wall Street Journal reported. Laws around airspace can be complicated. Generally, it’s illegal for citizens to take down another’s drone, NJ.com reported, citing a Federal Aviation Administration expert. According to federal laws, the military can only take down drones by military bases if the drones exhibit a clear threat, and spying isn’t one, the Journal reported. The Journal also reported that technological solutions for taking down the Virginia drones, like signal jamming or destructive technology, would have been risky for citizens and planes. After these drone appearances, the Pentagon released a classified new approach to dealing with these issues, Fox News reported.
