What We Know & Don’t Know About the Drones

For over a month, citizens across the tri-state area - New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania - have reported thousands of sightings of clusters of large drones flying low in the night sky. Local law enforcement and the FBI are in active investigation, but so far no answers have been given to the public as the sightings continue nightly, and anxieties over the unexplained clusters of drones rise.

Here is what we know:

Morris County Prosecutor's Office announced on November 19, 2024, that officers had witnessed "drone activity" while "on patrol in Morris County" the night prior. Morris County Prosecutor's Office stated at the time that "there is no known threat to public safety," and urged residents to be mindful of rumors spreading on social media saying, "what [residents] read online may not be accurate." 

At the time no information was given as to the type, size, or amount of drones observed by law enforcement. Morris County Law Enforcement did not provide updates relevant to how these sightings were being investigated or how the public could receive more information. Citizens were, at this point, encouraged not to call 911, but to alert their local police department.

In the following weeks, drone sightings were reported in eight New Jersey Counties and social media filled with videos of the drones flying over residents homes. The social media posts, usually accompanied by videos and pictures, described the drones as "large and loud." These videos showed lit objects, about the size of a small car, hovering in the night sky. These posts have continued to populate social media as the drone sightings continue nightly. Based on the timing of social media posts and Morristown Minute's own investigations the drones are typically observed flying between the hours of 4:30pm and 11:30pm. 

What we know from the timing and description of the drones is that they are not your typical drones hobbyist can purchase at a retailer. These drones are large, sophisticated, and have thus far evaded law enforcement's efforts to pinpoint their takeoff and landing locations.

Beginning this December, reports of these drones spread to neighboring states of New York, with sightings of a cluster of dozens of drones reported in Staten Island, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The drones have been "reported above critical infrastructure such as water reservoirs, electric transmission lines, rail stations, police departments and military installations," said Joseph Orlando, Chief of Police for Florham Park, NJ.

The Federal Aviation Administration responded in early December by first implementing then extending "temporary flight restrictions" on drones over the Picatinny Arsenal military base and Bedminster, home to Present-elect Trump's National Golf Club. On December 3, the FBI joined several New Jersey law enforcement investigations and announced a public request for tips and more information on the "cluster of what look to be drones and a possible fixed-wing aircraft."

The drones have been spotted flying over four U.S. Air Force bases in the U.K., as reported by the New York Times on November 27. The U.S. Air force responded by saying that the drones have not impacted the bases operations and stated Officials of the Defense Department were "continuing to look into it."

Picatinny Arsenal has confirmed that the drones are not related to the U.S. military and that the base was contributing to the investigation. More than 20 Mayors across New Jersey signed a letter on December 9th calling for "transparency" in the investigation. Soon after Governor Murphy spoke on the drone sightings investigation during a bill signing on 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." Murphy reiterated reports that the drones are highly "sophisticated" and "go dark" after being seen. The New Jersey Governor urged more law enforcement involvement and called for further transparency while officials search for answers.

Yesterday, the New Jersey State Police and Homeland Security held a "preparedness meeting" in Ewing, NJ. New Jersey Mayors along with other officials were told that federal authorities are actively investigating the situation in collaboration with the New Jersey State Police. Officials hosting the meeting confirmed that there have been similar sightings of large and sophisticated drones across the nation and internationally since November. Despite the active investigation, NJSP and Homeland Security said, at the meeting, that federal authorities have not been able to pinpoint the exact locations from which these drones are taking off and landing, and that the purpose or goal of these drones and their unidentified operators remains unclear. According to authorities, these drones do not have detection systems on them. 

Town of Dover Mayor James P. Dodd, who attended the preparedness meeting said in a statement that "it appears there is a lack of technology and legislation currently available to effectively manage and monitor drone activity. Existing laws and resources have proven inadequate in addressing this emerging issue."

To date there have been over 3,000 sightings of drones in New Jersey reported to the FBI tip line established solely for the drone issue. Governor Murphy said on Sunday that New Jersey saw 49 reported sightings of these large and sophisticated drones.

New Jersey law allows for drones for both personal and commercial use, but requires operators to be certified and follow federal guidelines concerning their usage. According to FAA rules, drones must stay within view of the operator, a rule these drones in question are certainly guilty of breaking. Commercially available drones usually have a short battery life of 10 minutes to one hour - the drones in question seem to be filling up the night sky for hours on end, another hint that these drones are not for personal or commercial use.

Many residents on social media, rightly concerned, have wondered why law enforcement doesn't "shoot them down," or why anxious citizens haven't taken the matter into their own hands. It is generally illegal for citizens to "shoot down" another person's drone, and it can prove to be dangerous and even deadly. According to federal laws, the military can only take down drones by military bases that exhibit a "clear threat" - spying is not classified as a "clear threat." Additionally, technology usually used to dismantle aircraft like drones would be a risky move potentially putting citizens on the ground in danger or disrupting commercial airplanes. Despite rumors on social media, none of these drones have been shot down and no drones have crashed to this date.

According to a Fox News report, following these drone sightings the Pentagon released a classified new approach to dealing with suspicious drone sightings.

More information will hopefully reveal itself soon as local and federal law enforcement continues to investigate the situation. In the meantime, stay tuned for updates, alert the FBI to their tip line (1-800-CALL-FBI or online at tips@fbi.gov) on new sightings, and stay safe Morristown.

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