Nearly a month into a federal investigation of unexplained aircraft witnessed nightly in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York, the White House and FBI have minimized concerns about the reports of suspected drones.
Federal authorities “have not been able to corroborate any of the reported visual sightings," which number in the hundreds since the middle of November, White House spokesperson John Kirby said Thursday at a press briefing.
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"We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or a public safety threat, or have a foreign nexus," Kirby said.
Federal investigators have used various electronic detection methods to gain a better understanding of the aircraft, which have been reported to appear in clusters during the night. Kirby said state and local law enforcement also have not been able to conclusively explain the sightings, and federal officials believe many of the sightings are routine air traffic.
"Upon review of available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully," Kirby said, adding the U.S. Coast Guard has not found any evidence that foreign vessels are involved in deploying aircraft.
Feds say people are mistaking airplanes for drones
In a joint statement, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security echoed many of the remarks that came from the White House on Thursday.
"Historically, we have experienced cases of mistaken identity, where reported drones are, in fact, manned aircraft or facilities," the agencies said. "We take seriously the threat that can be posed by unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), which is why law enforcement and other agencies continue to support New Jersey and investigate the reports. To be clear, they have uncovered no such malicious activity or intent at this stage."
The statement appears to backtrack from comments made by the FBI's Newark office, which said witnesses had spotted "the cluster of what look to be drones and a possible fixed wing aircraft" at various points along the Raritan River in North Jersey.
Kirby said reports about the aircraft highlight "gaps in authorities" that point to the need for Congressional action to boost preparedness against threats that drones could pose to critical infrastructure.
During a Wednesday press briefing, the Pentagon said the aircraft seen on the East Coast are not U.S. military drones. Pentagon officials also shot down claims by U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.) that the aircraft are coming from an Iranian ship off the Atlantic coast. Van Drew, who represents much of South Jersey, including the shore, had called for the aircraft to be shot down, a measure only the federal government would have the authority to do.
N.J., Pa. politicians demand 'more concrete' info aircraft sightings
Some elected officials in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York have grown increasingly alarmed by the lack of answers about the aircraft entering their communities.
U.S. Sen. Andy Kim (D-N.J.), who was sworn into office this week, spent Thursday night in Hunterdon County observing dozens of aircraft in the sky over a two-hour period. He posted videos of the aircraft he saw Friday morning on social media.
"This has gone on for weeks. It's hard to understand how with the technology we have we aren't able to track these devices to determine origin and this makes me much more concerned about our capabilities more broadly when it comes to drone detection and counter measures," Kim said.
Earlier in the week, Kim joined Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) in sending a letter requesting more help from the FBI, DHS and the Federal Aviation Administration.
On Friday, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said he wrote to President Joe Biden seeking increased federal resources for the investigation.
"New Jersey residents deserve more more concrete information about these (unmanned aircraft system) sightings and what is causing them," the letter said. "The continued reporting of UAS activity has raised more questions than answers and prompted an outcropping of conspiracy theories across social media and other platforms."
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro spoke briefly about the unidentified aircraft during an unrelated event in Scranton on Friday. He said he's directed Pennsylvania State Police to fly helicopters to observe any unusual activity, adding that the agency has been conducting exercises focused on the aircraft.
"I can't speak for the rest of the nation, but we're focused on it here in Pennsylvania. We've been told, again, by our federal partners, it does not pose any kind of national security or personal security risk," Shapiro said. "But you know, as the old saying goes, trust but verify."
In New Jersey, state and local lawmakers met Wednesday at New Jersey State Police Headquarters for a law enforcement briefing on New Jersey's probe of drone activity. In a social media post, state Rep. Dawn Fantasia (R-24) recapped the meeting and said it was premature to conclude there are no threats to the public.
"We know nothing. PERIOD," Fantasia wrote. "To state that there is no known or credible threat is incredibly misleading, and I informed all officials of that sentiment."
Fantasia said reports of suspected drones ranged between four and 180 sightings per night, usually from dusk until 11 p.m. She said many of the aircraft appear large — up to 6 feet in diameter — and seem to avoid detection by traditional methods.
In Pennsylvania, where sightings have increased since the start of December, U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-1) said Friday he was concerned about reports of drone activity overseas near a U.S. military base in Ramstein, Germany. Unidentified drones also were spotted late last month above U.S. bases in the United Kingdom, the BBC reported. Fitzpatrick had called Wednesday for more transparency from federal investigators.
"(It's) an unacceptable threat to our security," Fitzpatrick said. "Enough is enough. We need answers. We need action. Now."