Mystery Drones Frequently Being Detected in 'Restricted Air Space'

Mystery drones have been detected in several restricted air spaces, shutting down operations at one Air Force base and one airport over the weekend, and resulting in arrests near another airport on Saturday.

What's New

Mystery drones have been plaguing the East Coast since mid-November and have now resulted in the air space closure of one of the biggest U.S. Air Force bases and an airport in New York.

The air space over the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio was temporarily shut down between Friday, December 13, and Saturday, December 14, due to drone activity.

It has been open since Saturday and has not reported a sighting since then.

New York's Stewart International Airport also had to briefly shut down on Friday, December 13, due to drones reported nearby, while two people were arrested near Boston's Logan International Airport for trespassing and flying drones "dangerously close" to the airport.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responded to Newsweek's request for comment with a link to its joint statement with the FBI, Department of Defense (DOD) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) addressing the drones on December 16.

Why It Matters

Per its public statement on December 16, DHS said there have been 5,000 drones reported, with only 100 requiring further investigation, and that "there have been a limited number of visual sightings of drones over military facilities in New Jersey and elsewhere, including within restricted airspace."

DHS added: "Such sightings near or over DOD installations are not new."

Despite DHS saying these are limited events, elected officials have expressed frustration with the federal government around its handling of the drone sightings.

New Jersey Democratic Senator Andy Kim criticized the government for not being transparent with citizens, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has called the government response "negligent", and New York Governor Kathy Hochul and DHS have called for Congress to pass the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act.

This act is intended to give greater ability to the FAA to oversee drone activity and more authority to local and state law enforcement agencies so they can investigate drone activity without waiting for action from the White House.

What To Know

Drones were first spotted in New Jersey in mid-November after witnesses reported five flying "erratically" over the towns of Morristown, Madison and Mendham on November 18.

Since then, 5,000 drones have been reported across New Jersey and other East Coast states, as well as over US Air Force bases in the U.S. and the U.K.

Not every sighting of a drone is suspicious. Maryland Governor Hogan reported drone sightings above his house, only for people to "community note" him on X (formerly Twitter), letting him know that what he was spotting was the Orion's Belt constellation.

The FBI has urged people not to shoot at any drones in the sky, while Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene has said, "I'll shoot the drones down myself."

What People Are Saying

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told ABC's George Stephanopoulos: "I want to assure people that we, in the federal government, have deployed additional resources, personally, technology to assist the New Jersey State Police in addressing the drone sightings."

New Jersey Senator Kim said on X: "Federal experts should provide information and guidance to the public including local police departments like the one that took me out to help them decipher what they are seeing. Instead myself and others requesting are getting no feedback."

John Kirby, the National Security Council spokesman, said: "We have not identified anything anomalous or any national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the Northeast."

Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social: "Can this really be happening without our government's knowledge. I don't think so! Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!"

What Happens Next

DHS has said they are "actively engaged to ensure there are appropriate detection and mitigation measures in place."

Congress goes on recess as of Friday, December 20, so it is unlikely to pass the legislation DHS and Governor Hochul have called for before 2025.

Correction 12/18/24 11:16 am ET: This article was corrected to clarify the air space above the Wright-Patterson Base was closed, not the entire base.