A month after suspected drone sightings in New Jersey first began capturing public attention, senior Joe Biden administration officials are reiterating that many of the sighted aircraft are actually manned and do not pose a threat to public safety.
Speaking on Saturday to reporters, an FBI official said that “all large fixed-wing reported sightings” in the state have been manned, noting that manned aircraft is often mistaken for drones or other unmanned aviation.
The official added that there has been no evidence to support “large-scale” unmanned aircraft system (UAS) activity. Of the approximately 5,000 leads generated about the aircraft, less than 100 have been deemed “worthy of further investigative activity”, he added.
The wave of sightings began in northern New Jersey in mid-November after personnel inside the Picatinny Arsenal, a US Army facility in Morris County, spotted a suspected drone near the base.
Sightings have since spread to other parts of New Jersey and other states including Connecticut, Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania, prompting lawmakers to call for answers on what exactly was happening.
“We don’t have any current evidence that there’s a threat to public safety”, said a Department of Homeland Security official on Saturday, noting that investigations were ongoing, including near critical infrastructure.