Swarms of large drones were repeatedly seen flying over New Jersey this week. The autonomous aircraft were traveling at night and were said to be much larger than normal hobbyist drones. They are said to have been equipped with flashing beacons, and in some cases were described as being as big as a car. Unfortunately, no one knows what the drones were doing, where they were going, or who they belonged to.
Information about the mysterious UAVs initially spread on social media, where users posted videos and photos they took as the drones flew over their neighborhoods. As information about the sightings spread, the government was forced to respond.
On Thursday, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said in a statement posted on social media that he had convened a briefing with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to discuss “reports of drone activity over parts of Northern and Central New Jersey.” He added that the government is “actively monitoring the situation and is in close coordination with our federal and law enforcement partners.”
During a press conference on Friday, Walt Miller, police chief of Evesham Township, Jersey, told reporters that his department had been inundated with reports of drones. “They didn’t look like the usual drones that someone buys and uses at home,” Miller said. “They were big, some of them were described as an SUV, with flashing lights.” After reports of the flying machines started coming in, the police chief said his department contacted the Jersey State Police to try to figure out what the flying robots were doing. Obviously, they were unable to find out. “At this point, we’re still investigating, we don’t have any information about who owns the drones or what their purpose was,” Miller told reporters on Friday.
Miller said his agency is now working with the FBI and federal authorities to try to understand what happened. Miller said there is “definite concern” about what the drones were doing in the area. He also noted their unique ability to withstand the high winds that were blowing that night. “The winds that were present – one of those small amateur drones would not have been able to fly,” he said, while the drones that flew over the town were able to “navigate the weather” with relative ease.
The Federal Civil Aviation Administration has reportedly imposed restrictions on drone flights in the area while law enforcement agencies continue to investigate the incidents.
