For several weeks, residents of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania have reported clusters of drone-like objects flying low in the night sky. State officials have sought assistance from the FBI as information about these sightings remains limited.
On November 19, New Jersey police reported observing drone activity over Morris County and announced an investigation. They acknowledged the spread of rumors on social media but assured the public that there was no known threat to safety.
Since the initial reports, drones have been seen in eight New Jersey counties. Social media users have described the drones as large and loud, sharing videos of the illuminated objects hovering at night. A New Jersey resident mentioned seeing the drones nightly, and a police chief noted that the drones were as large as cars, larger than typical amateur drones.
In December, similar sightings were reported over Staten Island, New York, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. One Staten Island resident told NBC he saw dozens of drones with lights. Sightings have been reported nightly for the past two weeks, starting after sunset and continuing into the early morning. These drones have been seen above critical infrastructure, including water reservoirs, electric transmission lines, rail stations, police departments, and military installations, according to Joseph Orlando, a police chief in Florham Park, New Jersey. On December 10, Nicole Malliotakis, R-NY, reported drones near the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.
In early December, the Federal Aviation Administration imposed and later extended temporary flight restrictions on drone use over the Picatinny Arsenal military base and Bedminster, home to President-elect Trump’s National Golf Club Bedminster.
On December 3, the FBI joined several New Jersey police investigations, requesting public assistance in identifying the drones and a possible fixed-wing aircraft.
The New York Times reported on November 27 that drones were also seen flying over four U.S. Air Force bases in the U.K. The Air Force stated that the drones had not affected the bases, and a Defense Department official confirmed that investigations were ongoing.