As drone sightings continue to unnerve New Jerseyans, officials maintain there is nothing nefarious to report.

Sightings of the drones were first reported in mid-November – and have continued since – setting social media abuzz as well as lawmakers, with their constituents demanding answers. The situation has come to a head in recent days. And while officials affirm there is no need to alarm, the lack of a full explanation of what is happening in the skies continues to roil New Jerseyans’ fears and frustrations.

Over the weekend, Gov. Phil Murphy met with state police at the Regional Operations & Intelligence Center as well as with the FBI Newark’s team at Naval Weapon Station Earle in Colts Neck to discuss the FBI’s investigation into the drone sightings.

Following a Monday event on clemency, Murphy spoke to reporters about the very latest.

Assessing the situation

While lauding the efforts of state police and other officials, the governor stressed that the state alone does not have the resources and sophisticated systems that the federal government has – and does not have authority over the skies as the feds do.

“And we finally, I’m happy to say, got three separate systems – very sophisticated systems from the federal government into New Jersey, beginning on Friday,” said Murphy. “Between Friday and Saturday, these systems landed – in addition to the ongoing state police efforts.”

“We pegged Sunday night as the night to go out and visit with each of those three systems – as well as to review the state police ongoing efforts,” said Murphy, stressing the state’s persistence in securing those systems. “Last night, I was in two locations – state police headquarters in West Trenton where two of those systems are operating independently at the same location. And then with the FBI, I went to Earle Naval Weapons Base in Monmouth County – and spent some time with the FBI and a third proprietary system. These are as sophisticated as they get. And thankful for the fact that they are finally in New Jersey.”

The governor gave his assessment based on what he is being told by experts in this space.

“There may be suspicious activity out there – as we stand here today. But there is little to no evidence of that right now,” said Murphy. “That’s based, again, on these three systems. And I think we need to give this more time.”

Planes mistaken for stars

On Dec. 16, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Federal Aviation Administration and Department of Defense released a joint statement about the situation.

“There are more than 1 million drones lawfully registered with the FAA in the United States and there are thousands of commercial, hobbyist, and law enforcement drones lawfully in the sky on any given day. With the technology landscape evolving, we expect that number to increase over time,” the statement read. “FBI has received tips of more than 5,000 reported drone sightings in the last few weeks with approximately 100 leads generated, and the federal government is supporting state and local officials in investigating these reports. Consistent with each of our unique missions and authorities, we are quickly working to prioritize and follow these leads. We have sent advanced detection technology to the region. And we have sent visual observers.”

The truth is out there?

Earlier in the month, Gov. Phil Murphy assured residents that “Based on everything we know, we don’t see any evidence of a risk to public safety.”

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The agencies concluded, based on the data and tips, that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones and law enforcement drones – as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and stars mistakenly reported as drones.

“We have not identified anything anomalous and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast,” the statement continued. “That said, we recognize the concern among many communities. We continue to support state and local authorities with advanced detection technology and support of law enforcement. We urge Congress to enact counter-UAS legislation when it reconvenes that would extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities to identify and mitigate any threat that may emerge.”

Also on Dec. 16, the FBI Newark and New Jersey State Police warned the public about pointing lasers at manned aircraft or shooting down the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).

“FBI Newark and New Jersey State Police want to warn the public about an increase in pilots of manned aircraft being hit in the eyes with lasers because people on the ground think they see an Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). There is also a concern with people possibly firing weapons at what they believe to be a UAS but could be a manned aircraft. FBI Newark, NJSP, and dozens of other agencies and law enforcement partners have been out every night for several weeks to legally track down operators acting illegally or with nefarious intent, and using every available tool and piece of equipment to find the answers the public is seeking. However, there could be dangerous and possibly deadly consequences if manned aircraft are targeted mistakenly as UAS.”

pic.twitter.com/ELgIo1gnOt

— FBI Newark (@FBINewark) December 16, 2024

‘Not something that’s new’

During a Dec. 17 briefing, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed that none of the drones were DoD assets or part of an experimental testing program.

“There’s over a million drones registered in the United States. And on any given day, approximately 8,500 drones are in flight. And so the vast majority of these drones are going to probably be recreational or hobbyist,” said Ryder. “They’re going to be commercial drones, used in things like architecture, engineering, farming or they could be used for law enforcement. Is it possible that some of those drones could be up to malign activity? It’s entirely possible, but the vast majority, that is not the case. In the case of drones flying near or over US military installations, that in and of itself just given the volume of drone flights we see on a given day, is not something that’s new.

“We take all of those seriously. We will typically, when we detect them, attempt to classify them and take appropriate measures. Is it possible that some of those are surveilling? Absolutely. But can you make that assumption in every case, not necessarily. So in each case, commanders have the authority, installation commanders and authorities have the authority to respond appropriately, and we’ll continue to do that,” Ryder said.

Different theories

During his own news conference this week, President-elect Donald Trump struck a different tone – claiming that the government knows more than they are letting on.

“Our government knows what is happening. Look, our military knows where they took off from, if it’s a garage they can go right into that garage,” Trump said during a press conference at The Mar-a-Lago Club in Florida. “They know where it came from and where it went. And for some reason, they don’t want to comment. And I think they’d be better off saying what it is. Our military knows and our president knows. And for some reason, they want to keep people in suspense. I can’t imagine it’s the enemy – because if it was the enemy, they’d blast it.”

President Joe Biden was asked about the situation before boarding Marine One Dec. 17.

“Nothing nefarious, apparently, but they’re checking it all out. There’s a lot of drones authorized to be up there,” said Biden. “But we’re following it closely. So far, no sense of a danger.”

Of course, those assurances from officials have not done a whole lot to quell the public fears as well as calls for action and more transparency – and more answers from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. It has marked a rare moment in divided times politically where all lawmakers seem to be on the same page – as this situation continues to play out in the skies of the Garden State.

Making plans

“I’m incredibly frustrated with the lack of coordination and communication from agencies as New Jerseyans continue to watch unidentified drones fly across our skies,” said U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-11th District, a 2025 gubernatorial candidate, who released a drone plan of action Dec. 16. “Right now, our leaders need to be acting in accordance with a unified plan, and speaking with one voice in order to protect our national security, keep New Jerseyans safe, and ensure state and local authorities have the information and tools they need to take action.”

“Let me say this clearly: I believe the people I represent and, as I’ve been saying for some time now, the people in New Jersey and around the country deserve answers. They deserve transparency from their government,” said U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-5th District, a 2025 gubernatorial candidate who laid out his own Drone Response Strategy this week. “I assure you, I will continue working around the clock, speaking with federal officials, local law enforcement, and our Governor, to get as much information as I can out to the public.”

‘Unacceptable’

“For John Kirby to stand before the American people, red-faced and sputtering excuses, and claim there is nothing out of the ordinary going on here after weeks of mounting concern is either sheer incompetence, willful ignorance, or a cover-up,” said U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, D-2nd District. “People are reporting drones, some the size of SUVs, and instead of addressing those legitimate concerns, the administration is brushing them off and treating Americans like they are delusional. It is unacceptable.”

“We now have bipartisan calls for answers about the drones. Federal and State officials are done with the ‘non answers’ from Washington,” state Sen. Jon Bramnick, R-21st District, a 2025 gubernatorial candidate, wrote on social media, “This is probably the broadest bipartisan demand from elected officials in decades. I am convinced Washington can no longer be silent.”