Mysterious Drones in NJ and England

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Mystery drones flying over New Jersey have residents and officials puzzled

There is something strange happening in the skies above New Jersey, and no one seems quite sure what to make of it — not the governor, not members of Congress, not the FBI.

What they know is that starting in mid-November, dozens of identified drones have been spotted at night flying in at least 10 different counties across the state. What they don’t know is where the drones are coming from, who’s flying them and why.

The drones have been spotted above critical infrastructure, according to authorities, including reservoirs, electric transmission lines, rail stations, police departments and military installations.

A U.S. Army base in northern Morris County has already had at least 11 sightings, Army officials said this week, several of which came even after the Federal Aviation Administration moved to temporarily restrict drones from flying overhead. In neighboring Somerset County, the FAA has also banned drones from flying over the golf course owned by President-elect Donald Trump.

It’s not illegal to fly a drone in New Jersey, so long as the operator is certified with the FAA. Small unregistered drones being used for recreation can be flown in unrestricted areas.

But the number and mysterious nature of the sightings have left many Garden State residents on edge. So too has their size, as many of the drones appear to be larger than those that are typically used by hobbyists.

The office of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy did not respond to a request for comment, but speaking at an unrelated bill signing earlier this week, Murphy said there had been 49 sightings on Sunday alone — though several of those may have been duplicates or merely possible sightings.

In a posting on social media last week, Murphy said state officials were “actively monitoring the situation and in close coordination with our federal and law enforcement partners.”

“There is no known threat to the public at this time,” Murphy said.

Murphy’s assurances have done little to quiet the concerns of residents and other officials across the state. In a statement posted to Facebook last week, the police chief of Florham Park, N.J., said “their presence appears nefarious in nature.” And during a House hearing on Monday focused on unmanned aerial systems, N.J. Rep. Chris Smith, a Republican, said he thought the drones were a “very serious threat.”

Given the alarm the drones have caused, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said in a statement Monday that he was calling for more transparency from federal officials.

“There is a growing sense of uncertainty and urgency across the state — from constituents and local officials alike — despite assurances that the drones pose no known threats to public safety,” Booker wrote in a letter to leaders at the FBI, and the Departments of Transportation and Homeland Security.

“As such, I urge you to share any relevant information about these drone sightings with the public. Without transparency, I believe that rumors, fear, and misinformation will continue to spread,” he added.

So far at least one theory has been ruled out — that the drones were coming from the Picatinny Arsenal military research base in Morris County. In a statement obtained by the Morristown Daily Record on Monday, base commander Lt. Col. Craig Bonham II said the drones were not theirs.

“While the source and cause of these aircraft operating in our area remain unknown, we can confirm that they are not the result of any Picatinny Arsenal-related activities,” Bonham said.

The FBI has opened an investigation, but bureau officials say key questions remain unresolved.

Speaking to House lawmakers Monday, Robert Wheeler, the assistant director for the bureau’s critical incident response group, said the FBI still did not know whether a specific individual was responsible for the flights or whether they were the work of a larger group. Wheeler also could not definitively rule out the possibility that the drones may pose a risk to public safety or national security.

“There’s nothing that is known that would lead me to say that, but we just don’t know, and that’s the concerning part,” Wheeler said.

In a statement, the FBI said it “remains engaged with our federal, state, local, and tribal partners to share information and protect the public.” It added that any drones “that pose a danger to any aircraft or are observed operating in restricted airspace or near critical infrastructure and other sensitive sites, can be reported to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or online at tips.fbi.gov.”

Unidentified drones have puzzled the public before. Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal reported about unidentified drones swarming Langley Air Force Base in Virginia for 17 days. As with the drones over New Jersey, those flights called to memory the Chinese spy balloon that the U.S. military shot down over the coast of South Carolina in 2023.

The flights over New Jersey have led to calls for the military to shoot down the unidentified drones, but under federal law the military is largely prohibited from doing so unless the drone poses an imminent threat. It is also illegal for individuals to shoot down any aircraft — including drones.

New details emerge of mysterious drone sightings over New Jersey

The large mysterious drones reported flying over parts of New Jersey in recent weeks appear to avoid detection by traditional methods, like helicopters and radio, according to a state lawmaker briefed Wednesday by the Department of Homeland Security.

In a post on the social media platform X, Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia described the drones as up to 6 feet in diameter and sometimes traveling with their lights switched off. The Morris County Republican was among several state and local lawmakers who met with state police and Homeland Security officials to discuss the spate of sightings that range from the New York City area through New Jersey, westward into parts of Pennsylvania, including over Philadelphia.

The devices do not appear to be being flown by hobbyists, Fantasia wrote.

Dozens of mysterious nighttime flights started last month and have raised growing concern among residents and officials. Part of the worry stems from the flying objects initially being spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility; and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. Drones are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use, but they are subject to local and Federal Aviation Administration regulations and flight restrictions. Operators must be FAA certified.

Most, but not all, of the drones spotted in New Jersey were larger than those typically used by hobbyists. The number of sightings has increased in recent days, though officials say many of the objects seen may have been planes rather than drones. It’s also possible that a single drone has been reported more than once.

Gov. Phil Murphy and law enforcement officials have stressed that the drones don’t appear to threaten public safety. The FBI has been investigating and has asked residents to share any videos, photos or other information they may have.

Two Republican Jersey Shore-area congressmen, U.S. Reps. Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew, have called on the military to shoot down the drones. However, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters Wednesday that “our initial assessment here is that these are not drones or activities coming from a foreign entity or adversary.”

Many municipal lawmakers have called for more restrictions on who is entitled to fly the unmanned devices. At least one state lawmaker proposed a temporary ban on drone flights in the state.

“This is something we’re taking deadly seriously. I don’t blame people for being frustrated,” Murphy said earlier this week. A spokesman for the Democratic governor said he did not attend Wednesday’s meeting.

Republican Assemblyman Erik Peterson, whose district includes parts of the state where the drones have been reported, said he also attended Wednesday’s meeting at a state police facility in West Trenton. The session lasted for about 90 minutes.

Peterson said DHS officials were generous with their time, but appeared dismissive of some concerns, saying not all the sightings reported have been confirmed to involve drones.

So who or what is behind the flying objects? Where are they coming from? What are they doing? “My understanding is they have no clue,” Peterson said.

A message seeking comment was left with the Department of Homeland Security.

Most of the drones have been spotted along coastal areas and some were recently reported flying over a large reservoir in Clinton. Sightings also have been reported in neighboring states.

James Edwards, of Succasunna, New Jersey, said he has seen a few drones flying over his neighborhood since last month.

“It raises concern mainly because there’s so much that’s unknown,” Edwards said Wednesday. “There are lots of people spouting off about various conspiracies that they believe are in play here, but that only adds fuel to the fire unnecessarily. We need to wait and see what is really happening here, not let fear of the unknown overtake us.”

After more than a week of drones being spotted over four of its facilities in England, Air Force officials are still trying to find out who is flying them, why they are being flown, and the relationship between incidents at different installations. One thing is clear, however. They are not being operated by your average drone enthusiasts.

Two U.S. officials told The War Zone that these drones “do not appear to be the work of hobbyists.” Witnesses say they are quadcopters and octocopters and are more sophisticated than consumer off-the-shelf models.

The incidents at RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, and RAF Fitwell “appear to be connected,” one of those officials added. The relationship to drones seen over RAF Fairford is less clear. The War Zone was first to report the drone incursions. They began to appear on Nov. 20 and continue to this day.

“Small unmanned aerial systems continue to be spotted in the vicinity of and over Royal Air Force Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, RAF Feltwell and RAF Fairford since Nov. 20,” Air Force Capt. Ryan Walsh, spokesman for the 48th Fighter Wing at Lakenheath, told us in a statement today. “To date, installation leaders have determined that none of the incursions impacted base residents, facilities or assets. The Air Force is taking all appropriate measures to safeguard the aforementioned installations and their residents.”

The number of systems “has fluctuated, and they have ranged in sizes and configurations,” he added. “Our units continue to monitor the airspace and are working with host-nation authorities and mission partners to ensure the safety of base personnel, facilities and assets. To safeguard operational security, we do not discuss specific force protection measures, however we retain the right to protect our installations. We request individuals in the area to contact either local police or Security Forces if they see anything suspicious, to include sUAS’s or drone activity.”

U.K Defense Minister Maria Eagle said the government was “taking steps” to deal with the incursions, the BBC reported.

“Protection of our personnel and bases is of course our highest priority,” said Eagle, speaking during a debate on UK air and missile defenses at Westminster Hall. “For security reasons I won’t go into specifics. But we are taking steps and we are aware of what’s going on and doing our best to deal with it.”

“We will be making sure that anybody we manage to catch for engaging in this behaviour will be shown the full force of the law for their illegal activities,” she added.

Aircraft spotters outside Lakenheath claim they have seen F-15E Strike Eagles sent aloft in response to the incursions. Flight tracking software has also shown interesting aerial operations around the base as the sightings have progressed. F-15E’s targeting pods would be especially useful in finding, identifying and tracking the low-flying drones. However, Air Force officials have not confirmed that they are using the fighters in an attempt to track the drones. Surely multiple aerial assets have been deployed to help ascertain what exactly is going on and at whose command. UK assets, including police helicopters and intelligence-gathering turboprops are likely to have been used in the hunt.

The 48th Fighter Wing, with its F-35A Joint Strike Fighters and aforementioned F-15E Strike Eagles is the base tenant unit at Lakenheath. The 100th Air Refueling Wing, which flies KC-135s, is the main unit at Mildenhall. The 352nd Special Operations Wing with its MC-130s and CV-22s is also among the base tenants.

There have also been signs that Lakenheath is at least being prepared to re-host U.S. nuclear bombs after those weapons were removed from the country in 2008. Feltwell also houses personnel from the 48th Fighter Wing and serves as an additional logistical node for American forces in the country.

Ironically, Lakenheath was home to fighter wings that defended Israel against Iranian drones as well as missiles during Tehran’s massive barrage in April. Several airmen at Lakenheath received medals for heroics during that operation.

On Tuesday, officials from USAFE added RAF Fairford to the list of bases experiencing drone incursions. Unlike the other three facilities which are in close proximity, Fairford is about 100 miles to the southwest.

Fairford is the main bomber forward operating location in Europe for the U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command. Bomber Task Force-Europe sees B-1s, B-52s, and B-2s rotate into the theater fairly regularly for operations with NATO and other allies and to ‘deter’ Russia. It is also home to small contingents of U-2 spy planes.

There are four B-52 Stratofortress bombers currently at the base and flying missions around Europe.

On Nov. 25, two B-52H Stratofortress bombers assigned to the 20th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron conducted a simulated weapons drop training mission as part of Bomber Task Force 25-1 in Finland, according to USAFE.

“During the mission bombers integrated with Finnish F/A-18C Hornets and Swedish Air Force Saab JAS 39 Gripens.”

As these incursions continue, the RAF’s largest installation, RAF Brize Norton, warned drone operators from entering its airspace.

“Calling our local Aviation Enthusiast Community,” the base posted on Twitter. “We encourage you to report anything unusual, specifically drone activity, within our Flight Restriction Zone. Within this area it’s illegal to fly any UAS without permission.”

That notice, however, is unrelated to the ongoing incursions, a base official told us.

“We routinely engage with our local community on such matters, and regularly remind local drone users of the restrictions in place in order to keep our aerodrome safe via social media,” a spokesperson stated in response to our query about the warning. “This was a routine reminder post.”

Civilian drone operations are prohibited over wide swaths of British airspace, largely over military installations, which you can see in the following map compiled by the UK AIS Internet Briefing System. The map is interactive to allow drone operators to know the local restrictions.

The U.K. Defense Ministry (MoD) declined to say whether there is a nationwide effort to have its installations warn drone operators in the wake of these incursions.

“What the RAF or USAF offer to our people/units is not something that would be shared with anyone outside of the military,” a spokesman told us. “The MOD continues to take this matter seriously and as previously stated are working closely with USVF [U.S. Visiting Forces], Police, and other partners to respond to recent events.”

The MoD also declined to confirm reports, which we noted yesterday, that 60 British troops have been deployed across three bases in the United Kingdom that host American forces in response to ongoing drone incidents. Nor would they confirm reports that the NINJA counter-drone system – originally developed for the U.S. Air Force and subsequently became part of the Royal Air Force ORCUS counter-drone system – has been deployed to these bases as well.

After more than a week, who is operating these drones and for what purpose remain open questions.

These incursions underscore very real concerns about uncrewed aerial threats to critical military facilities and civilian infrastructure. TWZ has been on the leading edge of covering this topic for years and has broken multiple stories now about drone incursions over key U.S. bases and training ranges, as well as uncrewed aerial systems harassing American forces off the coasts of the United States and making worrisome overflights of important non-military sites. A spate of drone incursions over Langley Air Force Base in Virginia in December 2023, which TWZ was the first report on, has now become a particular focal point of growing concern about these issues.

That drones are flying every day over U.S. bases in England is extremely troubling. The Pentagon’s effort to respond to them likely faces hurdles similar to those it does domestically, which you can read more about here. Any response may be additionally complicated because the U.S. is a guest of the U.K. and has to work out authorization for the use of counter-drone measures with local officials. We will continue to monitor these incursions and provide updates when warranted.

Uncovered files reveal secret operation at center of drone invasion… and why White House can deny it.

Official records show the army has been developing and testing ‘counterterrorism’ drones in New Jersey for years, amid claims of a government cover-up.

A 2018 defense contract awarded $50 million to a private robotics company to develop craft capable of creating 3D maps of urban areas for a ‘counter weapons of mass destruction’ program.

The contract was given out by the Army’s Armament Research, Development, and Engineering Center (ARDEC), which is located at the Picatinny Arsenal in Rockaway, New Jersey, where mystery drones were first reported last month.

Meanwhile, documents show the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an air restriction alert on November 21 prohibiting flights over the Picatinny base for ‘special security reasons‘ through December 26.

The White House has claimed the drone sightings – which coincidentally began on November 18 – are not a foreign adversary, pose no threat and are not part of a US military operation.

Retired CIA Intelligence Officer Rudy Ridolfi told DailyMail.com: ‘This FAA notice shows US drone testing is happening in the area. It’s a warning for others to stay out of the area during those dates.

‘While the nature of the testing isn’t specified, it’s most likely the testing of payloads related to reconnaissance.’

But Matt Sloane, founder of drone consulting firm AI Skyfire, told DailyMail.com that the sightings could be ‘a contractor developing these drones for DoD [the Department of Defense].’

The DoD can deny claims of third-party technologies if the drones were placed on a secure tech list for contract disclosures, which means the government is applying special restrictions to the information.

The restrictions are added when technologies protect national security or to keep advanced systems hidden from hostile nations, and the developer holds primary liability if the government is not operating the drones, Ridolfi explained.

A Picatinny Arsenal spokesperson told DailyMail.com: ‘We can confirm that they are not the result of any Picatinny Arsenal or DEVCOM Armaments Center (formerly ARDEC) directed actions.’

The government contract was awarded to Maryland-based company Robotics Research.

The FAA alert could signal signal that the contract had approval to test drones in a public area.

‘They could have been testing them in a different place on a military installation and now it was time to move the testing out to a public area,’ Sloane said.

‘The military has in various places around the country that are out of the way of prying eyes. Maybe it was just time to graduate that testing to the public.’

While large swaths of New Jersey are seeing drones, the White House has noted that there are more than one million drones lawfully registered in the US and many of the sightings could be hobby crafts, airplanes and even stars.

Sloane highlighted a similar drone mystery that hit Colorado from 2019 to 2020 when swarms of aerial vehicles fill the sky like the current situation in New Jersey.

Local reports at the time suggested the drones were ‘a secretive Air Force program intended to keep prying eyes away from nuclear missile silos,’ which are in Cheyenne.

Air Force Global Strike Command, based in Louisiana, confirmed that it conducts counter-drone exercises out of F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, where it is based.

The drones were described to have ‘flashing or steady white, red or green lights.’

The story echoes the current situation in New Jersey – residents and local officials were demanding answers.

The drones in Colorado were also rumored to be sniffing for missing radioactive material, which has been a theory in the Garden State.

‘I think (at the extreme) this could be a search operation [in New Jersey], said Ridolfi.

‘One argument against that (to some degree) is the vast bulk of the sightings are at night. If it really was a national security issue, they’d be running around the clock.’

Sloane said the drones being tested by a government contractor could feature any type of attachment.

‘There’s cameras, gas detectors, radiation detectors,’ he said.

The FAA flight restriction alert last month states the temporary ban is due to national defense and security reasons, prohibiting other aerial vehicles flying within a two-mile radius and below 2,000 feet.

However, exceptions include operations supporting national defense, law enforcement, firefighting, search and rescue, disaster response, event support, and commercial operations with a valid statement of work.

When asked about the FAA’s restriction over the base, a spokesperson for the agency said they were unaware of the alert.

Picatinny Arsenal, located in Morris County, develops advanced conventional weapon systems and ammunition and has supplied Ukraine with weapons for its fight against Russia.

Morris County was also the first area to report sightings, sparking a joint letter from 21 mayors that called for statewide action from New Jersey Gov Phil Murphy.

The initial sightings sparked fears of foreign adversaries spying on Picatinny Arsenal, but the White House has assured the public that this is not the work of Russia, China or Iran.

‘I do think it’s interesting that [the drones are] using position lights,’ said Sloane.

‘If I were a foreign adversary wanting to spy on things, I probably wouldn’t have red and green lights on my drone.’

On December 10, Picatinny Arsenal recorded 17 confirmed and unconfirmed sightings of drones over its territory since November 13.

The earliest ‘confirmed’ sighting was reported by security personnel and the ‘unconfirmed’ came from unknown individuals, including locals.

Under the terms of the contract, Robotic Research was tasked with conducting technical demonstrations of autonomous unmanned systems sensing technologies and designing them with sensing technologies.

The program is focused on improving autonomy, 3D/4D mapping, localization, target ID, tracking, collective 3D visualization, weapons system integration of Unmanned Autonomous Systems and subterranean communications.

Resources

npr.org, “Mystery drones flying over New Jersey have residents and officials puzzled.” By Jason Breslow; apnews.com, “New details emerge of mysterious drone sightings over New Jersey.” By Bruce Shipkowski; twz.com, “Drone Incursions Over USAF Bases In UK Enter Second Week.” By Howard Altman; dailymail.co.uk, “Uncovered files reveal secret operation at center of drone invasion… and why White House can deny it.” By Stacey Liberatore;

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Mysterious Drones in NJ and England

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