U.S. officials from the White House, FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security emphasized over the weekend that many of the airborne vehicles recently spotted in New Jersey and other states, which were initially reported as drones, were actually regular manned aircraft, and there is no evidence of any national security threat.
An FBI official told reporters at a press conference that the agency is working with 50 local, state, and federal partners to analyze the increased reports.
The official said that fewer than 100 of over 5,000 reported sightings had warranted further investigation, and that all reported sightings of large vehicles had turned out to be piloted aircraft.
He added that “no evidence has been found to indicate widespread [unmanned aerial vehicle] activity.”
For the remaining cases, intensive efforts are being made to investigate using interviews, radar analysis, and intelligence gathering, the official said.
“We cannot ignore the sightings,” said the official. “We are doing everything we can to determine the origin of these drone activities, but I think the response has been somewhat exaggerated.”
In mid-November, a number of reports surfaced regarding drone sightings in the New Jersey airspace, which in recent days also included Maryland, Massachusetts, and other states.
These reports have attracted media attention and led to the creation of a Facebook page called “Mysterious Drones in New Jersey – Let’s Find a Solution” with 56,000 members online.
U.S. President Joe Biden is receiving regular updates on the matter, according to a White House official. /VOA
