Several unidentified drones have entered the airspace of a U.S. Navy base in New Jersey, authorities said on Friday (13).
The Naval Weapons Station Earle, located in Colts Neck, New Jersey, stated it is “aware” of the sightings in the area and “continues to closely coordinate with federal and state agencies to ensure the safety of our personnel and operations.”
“Although no direct threats to the facility have been identified, we can confirm multiple cases of unidentified drones entering the airspace above the Naval Weapons Station Earle,” said Bill Addison, the naval station’s public relations officer, in a statement to ABC News. “The base remains prepared to respond to any potential risk, utilizing robust security measures and advanced detection capabilities.”
The base did not disclose when the incidents occurred.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy expressed his “growing concern” about reports of unidentified drones in New Jersey in a letter to President Joe Biden, released on Friday (13), while requesting more resources to “fully understand what is behind this activity.”
The New Jersey State Police have been receiving reports of drone sightings since November 18, Murphy said.
“Residents of New Jersey deserve more concrete information about these sightings and what is causing them,” he wrote in the letter, dated Thursday (12). “The ongoing reports of UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) activities have raised more questions than answers and generated a series of conspiracy theories on social media and other platforms.”
Murphy also wrote to Congressional leaders on Thursday (12) regarding the impending expiration of the Department of Homeland Security and FBI’s authority to deal with unmanned aircraft systems, and urged them to pass legislation empowering state and local security agencies to utilize “advanced detection and mitigation technologies” to address the UAS.
Residents in northern New Jersey — especially in Morris and Somerset counties — have shared many videos and accounts of larger drones than those used by hobbyists flying overhead at night since mid-November.
Senator Andy Kim, who took office this week, spent Thursday night in Hunterdon County, neighboring Somerset, where he claimed to have seen dozens of drones over a two-hour period.
“People deserve answers,” Kim told reporters after his visit to the county. “We don’t need conspiracy theories or conjecture; we need assurances that the people responsible for our safety are addressing this issue, and a line of communication so that people feel their government is taking this seriously.”
He reiterated his calls for a federal investigation led by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. Kim was one of four senators from New York and New Jersey — along with Democratic Senators Chuck Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Cory Booker — who wrote a letter to federal officials on Wednesday requesting action.
“We write with great concern regarding the activity of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) that have affected communities in New York and New Jersey in recent days,” the letter stated.
The White House downplayed some of the residents’ concerns at a press briefing on Thursday (12), with National Security Council communications advisor John Kirby stating that “many” of the reported drone sightings appear to be legally operated manned aircraft.
Source: ABC News