The mysterious drones spotted for weeks in the night skies above New Jersey have captured the nation’s attention, sparking wide-ranging theories about the origin and purpose of the flying objects.
In the shocking absence of a federal explanation for the phenomenon, local politicians, police, and drone analysts have all come up with their own theories.
COPYCATS
New Jersey Chiefs, a coalition of police chiefs in the state, met earlier this week to discuss the ongoing issue that is causing citizens increasing concern.
One chief told The Post that one theory is endorsed by many in the coalition.
“What we think is it started as some sort of Picatinny Arsenal base surveillance drill or operation but once it exploded online this became a copycat situation,” the anonymous chief theorized about the flights that were seen over the New Jersey military base.
“Picatinny leads in the research, development, acquisition and lifecycle management of advanced conventional weapon systems and ammunition,” the base’s website reads. “There is no government or industry counterpart with our capabilities.”
The bases uses “unique laboratories and special facilities to evaluate prototype designs,” the website reads, citing “IED Defeat technologies,” “Precision-guided munitions” and “fire control systems” as areas of expertise.
Picatinny itself has confirmed sightings of at least 11 drones flying in its airspace — but has insisted the craft are not theirs.
The chief wondered what the recourse is if his theory about the drones proves true.
“So what do we do now? We chase down a 14-year-old with a drone and do what? What do we charge them with? I think there was some basis to how it originally started but now,” the chief said. “We have a hard time believing it. It’s like when you get a bomb threat, but now everyone is calling them in.”
Other police officers have more out-of-this-world explanations.
“I have guys who legitimately think it’s aliens,” one New Jersey police chief told The Post.
Local drone experts Mike Innella and Hayley Connelly of North Jersey Drone Shots agree that copycats have become part of the phenomenon.
They point out that New Jersey airspace is high traffic and themselves have even been privy to some false reports — including a one video of a supposed drone in Bedminster that they confirmed was a state police helicopter flying at extremely low altitude.
MILITARY
Local drone experts explain that the anomalous flyers exhibit incredible characteristics that exceed the abilities of commercially available products, which narrows, in their estimation, the potential origin.
Mike Innella and Hayley Connelly of North Jersey Drone Shots have been flying in the area for about 12 years and are familiar with both the drone market and regional flight traffic patterns.
They say the anomalous drones’ long-term battery power, their resistance to weather elements, and the finely controlled movements indicate that they would not be available for sale on the commercial market.
Drones that are roughly the size of cars are usually relegated to farm equipment, according to the pair, and those would not be able to achieve 400 feet altitude for 7-hours, which the flyers in New Jersey are capable of achieving.
“It’s gotta be military or some sort of government entity,” Connelly opined.
“We think it’s gotta be military,” Innella agreed vehemently.
Lack of communication between federal and local authorities is the major problem in their estimation.
“That’s the problem, is that it’s getting in the way of local activity and there’s no communication with local government,” Connelly said, adding, “There’s no answers, so: mass hysteria. What else?”
IRAN
Earlier on Wednesday, Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) revealed that sources told him the drones were coming from a “mothership” launched by Iran.
“I’m going to tell you the real deal. Iran launched a mothership that contains these drones,” Van Drew said. “It’s off the East Coast of the United States of America. They’ve launched drones.”
“These drones should be shot down,” he added.
But the Defense Department quickly poured cold water on those claims.
“There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and there’s no so-called mothership launching drones towards the United States,” deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters Wednesday.
The Pentagon did not offer any official explanation or alternative theory about the origin of the drones, and White House national security communications adviser John Kirby told reporters Thursday that there may not be any drones over New Jersey at all, despite the slew of sightings.
“We have not been able to, and neither have state and local law enforcement authorities, been able to corroborate any of the reported visual sightings,” Kirby said.
CHINA
This New Jersey phenomenon comes amid several reports of drones at US military bases across the globe, with some tied to China.
Chinese national Yinpiao Zhou, 39, was arrested at the San Francisco International Airport on Monday for flying a drone over Vanenberg Space Force Base in California.
Zhou is accused of spying on the Space Force base with a drone he operated from a nearby public park, according to Military.com.
He is charged with failure to register an aircraft not providing transportation and violation of national defense airspace, which could lead to a maximum sentence of four years in federal prison.
Several unidentified drones were spotted over three US Air Force bases in Britain just last month, according to CNN.
US officials are still investigating the origins of the drones — but tell CNN that they do not appear to be crafts operated by hobbyists.
Last year, dozens of drones were seen flying over Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.
The facilities, which represents the highest concentration of national-security facilities in the US, were the meeting place for a group of 20-foot-long drones that flew 3,000 to 4,000 feet in the air and up to 100 miles-per-hour, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Those drones were nearly impossible to track, military officials tell the outlet, and were only eventually caught after one became stuck in a tree in Newport News, Va., according to The Verge.
Chinese national Fengyun Shi was arrested and charged, pleading guilty to crimes under the Espionage Act for photographing classified US Navy ships with his drones.
