Mysterious drone reports | Why New Jersey has its eyes turned to the sky

(Trenton, New Jersey) The numerous reports of drones in the skies of New Jersey and the surrounding region continue to raise concerns and questions: where are they coming from and what are they doing?

Gov. Phil Murphy and Sen. Andy Kim are scanning the skies and demanding answers. The FBI, Homeland Security, State Police and other agencies are investigating.

Mr. Murphy and the police emphasize that drones do not appear to threaten public safety, but many elected officials have nevertheless called for tightening the law regulating who can fly them and have even demanded that they be able to be shot down.

Un mois de signalements

Depuis la mi-novembre, les signalements de drones se multiplient, provenant d’un peu partout dans l’État, notamment au-dessus de Picatinny Arsenal, un centre de recherche militaire, et au-dessus du club de golf du président désigné Donald Trump, à Bedminster.

M. Murphy, un démocrate, a déclaré lundi que du matériel de détection fourni par le gouvernement fédéral n’avait apporté que peu d’informations nouvelles. Questionné sur ce matériel, il a seulement indiqué qu’il est puissant, capable d’« atténuer » les drones, et qu’il n’est pas autorisé en version civile sur le sol américain.

L’État a recensé 12 signalements samedi et un seul dimanche.

M. Murphy a exhorté le Congrès à donner aux États plus de pouvoir sur les drones.

Une menace ou pas ?

L’inquiétude de certains habitants n’échappe pas à l’administration Biden, qui a été critiquée par M. Trump pour ne pas avoir agi avec plus de force.

Samedi, des responsables du FBI, du Pentagone et de l’Administration fédérale de l’aviation réunis par la Maison-Blanche ont cherché à rassurer le public : ces drones ne sont pas une menace pour la sécurité nationale ou la sécurité publique, ni l’œuvre d’un acteur étranger malveillant, ont-ils indiqué.

Selon la Maison-Blanche, bon nombre des drones signalés par le public étaient en fait des avions pilotés en toute légalité, ce qui a confirmé l’opinion de fonctionnaires et d’experts.

Qui manœuvre les drones ?

Les autorités disent ne pas le savoir.

Le département de la Sécurité intérieure et le FBI disent n’avoir aucune raison de croire que ces drones sont « une menace pour la sécurité nationale ou la sécurité publique, ou qu’ils ont un lien avec un pays étranger ».

Cela n’a pas empêché les réseaux sociaux de véhiculer diverses théories du complot liant les drones à de méchants agents étrangers.

Les autorités ont eu beau affirmer que ces craintes sont sans fondement, un membre de la Chambre des représentants, Chris Smith, y est allé de sa propre théorie.

Les « manœuvres élusives » de ces drones montrent une telle « sophistication » que l’élu – un républicain – y voit la main d’une « grande puissance militaire » et se demande « s’ils n’ont pas été envoyés pour tester [les] defense capabilities [des États-Unis]or worse, by violent dictatorships, perhaps Russia, China, Iran or North Korea,” he said.

On Monday, Pentagon spokesperson Major General Pat Ryder dismissed the hypothesis of spy drones, since the machines observed are noisy and fly with all their lights on. About a million drones are registered in the United States, and some 8,000 of them are flown every day, he noted.

A Pentagon spokesperson, Sabrina Singh, clarified that the machines observed were not American military drones.

Two drone operators arrested

In Boston, two men were arrested and charged with flying a drone “dangerously close” to Logan Airport overnight from Saturday to Sunday.

According to Boston police, an officer using a surveillance system detected the drone and located the pilots. A third man was able to escape and is wanted. Both defendants are charged with trespassing and could face other charges.

A military base closes its airspace

Drones flying near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, forced military officials to close its airspace for four hours Friday and Saturday, said Robert Purtiman, a base spokesman. , one of the largest in the world.

The report was a first and no other drones have been detected since, Purtiman said Monday, adding that the drones had not affected any base facilities.

Donald Trump demands action

According to Donald Trump, the government is hiding information. “Tell the public everything, right away. Otherwise, shoot them!!! “, he wrote in a message on Truth Social.

Last week, Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut called for drones to be shot down.

Representative Chris Smith on Saturday asked the Pentagon to authorize the use of force to shoot down one or more drones in order to understand their origin. He suggested shooting them down over the ocean or in an unpopulated area: “Why don’t we shoot one down and clear it up?” asked Mr. Smith.

Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden said the public should not try to shoot down drones, which is against the law.

Drones spotted above New York

Drones have also been seen in New York, where a permit is required. According to New York Mayor Eric Adams, the city is investigating and working with New Jersey and the feds.

Stewart International Airport, 70 miles north of New York, closed its runways for an hour Friday evening due to drones flying nearby, Gov. Kathy Hochul said.

“This is over the top,” the governor said, calling on Congress to strengthen the Federal Aviation Administration’s authority over drones and give more investigative power to municipal and state police.

Where have other drones been spotted?

Two people reported spotting an aircraft Thursday evening near Virginia Beach, Va., that was unlike any other they had seen.

The object flew over the ocean towards a National Guard installation, John Knight told the daily Virginian-Pilot. “It flew like a helicopter, but without any noise,” he said. The Virginia National Guard said it was investigating.

In Massachusetts, 10 to 15 drones were reported hovering over a home Thursday evening in Harwich, on the Cape Cod Peninsula. A resident told police they were bright and that she had looked at them for more than an hour.

Earlier in the evening, an off-duty police officer in the same city noticed similar activity near a public safety complex, police said. The information was forwarded to the FBI and the Massachusetts State Police.