What we know about the mysterious drones buzzing over New Jersey

The mystery continues to swirl during nearly a month of drone sightings over New Jersey, sparking fear among residents and furious debate over what the flying objects are and whether they are drones.

US authorities have been unable to provide definitive answers, saying only that the objects are not believed to pose a danger to the public or national security.

On Thursday, White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters that available footage suggested that many of the reported drone sightings were actually manned aircraft.

But some lawmakers have criticized the government’s handling of drones and the lack of information available to the public.

Here’s what we know about drones and subsequent research.

According to local authorities, dozens of drone sightings have been reported in New Jersey since November 18.

The drones were initially spotted near the Raritan River, a waterway that flows into the Round Valley Reservoir, the largest in New Jersey, the Associated Press reported.

The sightings soon spread to other parts of the state, including the New Jersey shore.

Some of the flights were spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a sensitive military research center, as well as near President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in the town of Bedminster, New Jersey.

In nearby New York City, several drones were reported flying over the Bronx on December 12, a police officer told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.

The officers who responded to the incident saw the drones flying over the area, but they disappeared shortly after.

Drones have also been reported in other parts of the state, according to the New York State Police.

Police in Connecticut have also confirmed that “suspicious drone activity” has occurred in several parts of the state. A drone detection system has been deployed in the cities of Groton and New London.

In Maryland, former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan claimed to have seen what appeared to be “dozens” of drones over his residence in Davidsonville, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Washington, DC.

“Like many who have observed these drones, I do not know whether this increasing activity above our skies is a threat to public safety or national security,” he wrote in X. “But the public is increasingly concerned and frustrated by the complete lack of transparency and the disdainful attitude of the federal government.

In late November, the US Air Force also confirmed that unidentified drones had been sighted over three US air bases in the UK: RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk and RAF Feltwell in Norfolk.

UK defense sources told the BBC that suspicion had fallen on a “state actor” responsible for the raids.

In October, the Wall Street Journal also reported that mysterious drones had been seen for 17 days near US military installations in Virginia.

It remains a mystery.

But both federal and state authorities have said they do not believe they are dangerous or pose a threat to U.S. national security.

Following a briefing with the Department of Homeland Security on Dec. 11, New Jersey Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia said drones appear to avoid detection by traditional methods such as helicopters and radio.

Fantasia said the drones are up to 6 feet (1.8 m) in diameter, travel with their lights off and “operate in a coordinated manner.”

His comments are in stark contrast to those from the White House, which has suggested that these are “manned aircraft.”

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security also said that most of the sightings appear to be legal manned flights.

None have been reported in restricted airspace, the statement added.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a statement Friday saying that more people are using drones, which means more people are noticing them in the sky.

He added that while drones can fly in most locations below 400 feet (121 m), they cannot fly within the controlled airspace around an airport without FAA authorization; on designated facilities sensitive to national security; in certain military bases, infrastructures and national monuments; and in the airspace covered by temporary flight restrictions.

If the objects are confirmed to be drones – which at this time is still unclear – it is not clear who could be operating them.

Citing unnamed “senior sources,” New Jersey Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew said they came from an Iranian “mothership” in the Atlantic.

The Pentagon quickly dismissed the comment, saying there was “no truth to it.”

“There are no Iranian ships off the coast of the United States, and there are no so-called mother ships launching drones toward the United States,” deputy spokeswoman Sabrina Singh told reporters.

Another lawmaker, Illinois Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi, who sits on a congressional committee examining China’s Communist Party, told NewsNation that there is a “non-trivial” possibility that China could be involved.

“It’s definitely a possibility and the likelihood that they can then access the data collected by these drones is very high,” he said.

Both the Pentagon and the White House have insisted that the objects are not of foreign origin.

Van Drew and other lawmakers have rejected those denials.

“Here’s the deal: They don’t know what it’s about. They don’t know what it’s about,” Van Drew told Fox News. “They have no idea where it comes from, but do they know what it’s not about? That’s nonsense.”

In a separate incident across the country, a Northern California man was charged Dec. 11 with flying a drone over Vandenberg Space Force Base, located near Santa Barbara, and taking photographs.

According to prosecutors, the incident allegedly took place on November 30.

The man, Yinpiao Zhou, a 39-year-old Chinese national, was arrested just before boarding a flight to China. He appeared in court Tuesday and no plea was admitted.

There has been no suggestion that the incident is related to the spate of drone sightings on the east coast.

Several lawmakers have suggested that drones should be shot down and analyzed to determine their origin and intentions.

Among them is President-elect Donald Trump, who took to his Truth Social media platform to suggest that drones couldn’t fly without the government’s knowledge.

“Let the public know, and now,” he wrote. “Otherwise, tear them down (sic).”

The US Federal Aviation Administration has also put in place temporary flight restrictions prohibiting drone flights over Bedminster and Picatinny.

In a statement, the FAA also warned that drone operators who conduct unsafe or dangerous operations could face fines of up to $75,000 (£59,000) and have their drone pilot certificates revoked.

In a letter to US President Joe Biden published on December 13, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy urged federal agencies to “work together” to solve the mystery, as well as press Congress to expand capabilities anti-drone to local law enforcement.

Some residents have suggested they could take action against drones, something authorities have strongly warned against doing as it is illegal.

“A good shotgun will solve that problem,” one man commented on a drone video on social media.