Drone Sightings on the U.S. East Cost: What's Really Going on?
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s definitely not Superman… so, what exactly is it?
If you haven't heard the news, there have been numerous drone sightings reported along the U.S. East Coast. According to local news and authorities, these mysterious flying objects are raising serious concerns.
The U.S. government has assured the American people that these “drones” pose no public threat. However, they’ve also admitted that they don’t know, or at least aren’t telling, what these objects actually are.
Naturally, this lack of transparency is unsettling, especially from a government that is supposed to be vigilant about national security threats. So, what's really going on here?
What Are These Drones and Why Haven’t Authorities Given Us Answers?
With no clear response from the government, many questions remain unanswered.
Why hasn’t the government acted in a way that promotes public confidence?
What are these drones mapping, and could they be linked to adversaries with an interest in military operations?
Unfortunately, the only way to get clear answers is to analyze the drones themselves.
And that may only happen if they’re shot down or if the government chooses to release more information in the coming months.
Timeline of events
Here’s a breakdown of the key dates related to the ongoing drone sightings on the U.S. East Coast:
Nov. 19
The Morris County Prosecutor's Office in New Jersey reported that local law enforcement observed drone activity in the area.
Social media posts flooded the internet, with numerous public videos capturing the unusual sightings.
The prosecutor’s office reassured the public that there was “no known threat to public safety,” urging caution about what people read online.
Nov. 22
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a temporary flight restriction in Bedminster, New Jersey, near SOLBERG VOR/DME (SBJ).
The restriction lasted until December 6, and applied specifically over Donald Trump's golf course, raising further questions about the nature of the drone activity in the area.
Nov. 25
Picatinny Arsenal, a military base in New Jersey, was designated as another restricted area by the FAA. This restriction lasted until December 26.
Dec. 3
Morris County advises the public how to report any drone sightings. There continues to be no threat to the public according to their office.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations begin its investigation. They ask the public to report any observations of drone activity.
"The FBI - Newark and the N.J. State Police are asking for the public to report any information related to the recent sightings of possible drones. Anyone with relevant information is asked to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit it online at tips.fbi.gov. Citizens can also upload videos through the latter website,
Dec. 4
Flight restrictions over Bedminster were extended until December 20, 2024, as authorities continued to monitor the situation.
Dec. 9
As drone sightings continue without any real updates from authorities, 21 Mayors from the New Jersey area write a formal letter to Gov. Phil Murphy demanding action.
The Mayors demand accountability, "to determine the origin, purpose and compliance with applicable regulations" and "implementation of measures to prevent unauthorized or unsafe drone operations."
Dec. 10
New Jersey State Senator Jon Bramnick suggested a temporary state of emergency, calling for a ban on all drones until the public received an explanation for the sightings.
Dec. 11
Rumors started circulating online that the drones were part of an “Iranian Mothership” operation. U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew alleged the drones were “large” and “sophisticated,” but provided no evidence to back his claims.
The Pentagon quickly debunked these allegations, with Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh confirming that there was “no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States.”
Dec. 12
More representative write letters to the FAA, FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. "We write with urgent concern regarding the unmanned aerial system (UAS) activity that has affected communities across New York and New Jersey in recent days."
The letter also stats that local representatives should be briefed on such matters "as soon as possible on how your agencies are working with federal and local law enforcement to identify and address the source of these incursions."
John Kirby the Whitehouse National Security spokesman there are active investigations ongoing, however they have been unable to "corroborate some of the reported sightings."
Many of the drones seem to be lawfully operated, but that does not speak to the size of these drones which are apparently car sized. If that is the case, these are not hobbyists but commercially manufactured.
Lastly Kirby stated no drones have been spotted in restricted airspace… until Dec. 13 that is…
Dec. 13
"Multiple" instances of drones are reported entering airspace at Naval Weapons Station Earle in New Jersey. A Navy weapons station in New Jersey confirmed these claims!
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul calls for Congress to pass the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act, which would strengthen the FAA's oversight of drones and give more authority to state and local law enforcement agencies to investigate the activity.
Dec. 14
FBI investigations into the drones are ongoing according to many representatives. FBI official says that of the nearly 5,000 tips the agency has received, less than 100 have generated credible leads for further investigation.
This is quite normal for any leads pertaining to an investigation. The public are not subject matter experts, and biases also contribute to false information.
For example, one TikToker was filming what she called a drone, but was clearly a plane… to this point, A DHS official says they're "confident that many of the reported drone sightings are, in fact, manned aircraft being misidentified as drones."
Dec. 15
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas states, "I want to assure the American public that we in the federal government have deployed additional resources, personnel, technology to assist the New Jersey State Police in addressing the drone sightings."
"Some of those drone sightings are, in fact, drones. Some are manned aircraft that are commonly mistaken for drones,” Mayorkas adds. "But there's no question that drones are being sighted."
Top New York officials are calling for deploying high-tech drone hunters and to deploy special drone-detecting technology, which has been unclassified, to get to the bottom of what has been alarming and baffling residents in the region.
Dec. 16
President Elect Trump states the Government and President including the Military know more about the drones than it's sharing with the public. He isn't sure why they are withholding the information from the public, but agrees they should share their findings.
Jan. 5
Most recent update...
What’s Next for Drone Sightings on the U.S. East Coast?
As investigations into the mysterious drone sightings continue, one thing is clear, the public is demanding answers.
Whether these drones are part of a larger national security concern or a series of misidentifications remains to be seen.
For now, the mystery continues to unfold, and the government’s response, or lack thereof, remains a topic of intense scrutiny.
