https://abcnews.go.com/US/new-jersey-drones-federal-response/story?id=116684879The Pentagon shot down a congressman's claim that an Iranian "mothership" is behind large drones spotted over New Jersey in recent weeks, while officials in the state are demanding a stronger federal response and transparency in connection with the mysterious, unexplained sightings.Since mid-November, large drones of uncertain origin have been repeatedly spotted in the sky at night over central and northern New Jersey, including near a military installation.State and local officials convened at a closed-door meeting Wednesday morning at the New Jersey State Police headquarters with representatives from the Department of Homeland Security to address the matter, according to several officials in attendance.It remains unclear who is operating the drones, according to a DHS handout released by Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali, who attended the meeting."At this time, according to the FBI, there are no known specific or credible threats related to these sightings," the handout stated.There have been reports ranging from four to 180 sightings per night, according to New Jersey Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia, who attended the meeting. The drones "operate in a coordinated manner" and have not been identified as hobbyist drones or ones related to DHS, she said.
Several officials said following the meeting that they were not assuaged by the DHS response.Ghassali said it has only "heightened my apprehensions regarding the federal government's approach to this critical issue.""The message conveyed was that there is no credible threat, yet they are flying over critical infrastructure, and their point of origin and destination remain unidentified," he said in a statement. "They will eventually find out but for now, we don't know anything else."New Jersey state Sen. Holly Schepisi called the DHS response "abysmal.""[It] actually made me feel less confident in our federal government's reaction to this issue rather than more," she said in a statement. "For the federal government to not dedicate every defense resource needed to identify the origin and purpose of these drones in the most densely populated state in the nation is inexplicable and completely unacceptable."Fantasia said "we know nothing" and to "state that there is no known or credible threat is incredibly misleading, and I informed all officials of that sentiment."
Following the meeting, New Jersey state Sen. Jon Bramnick urged the Department of Defense to investigate and reiterated his call for a limited state of emergency in the state."The Department of Defense must investigate and until that occurs we must shut down the airspace to drones. That would require a limited state of emergency and FAA cooperation," he said in a statement.A spokesperson for the FBI, which is the leading agency investigating the sightings, said it is "doing all we can [to] figure out what's going on.""The public can continue to call our 800 line, or submit a tip online, we are acting on every substantive lead that we get," the FBI spokesperson said.The Federal Aviation Administration has imposed flight restrictions over Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County and Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in Somerset County in response to the drone activity."Safely integrating drones into the National Airspace System is a key priority for the FAA," the agency said in a statement earlier this month. "We look into all reports of unauthorized drone operations and investigate when appropriate."New Jersey Rep. Jeff Van Drew criticized the FAA for its inability to locate the drones during a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's hearing earlier Wednesday."We have a serious problem with our aerospace. The recent sightings of unidentified drones in the state of New Jersey, my home state, is justifiably causing tremendous public concern," he said.Van Drew said the drones are "large" and "sophisticated" and alleged the presence of an "Iranian mothership" responsible for them, though he did not provide evidence to support his claims."I've learned, for real, that there is circumstantial evidence that there's an Iranian mothership off the East Coast of the United States, and that's launching these drone incursions," he said.
He said he is concerned at this time with identifying his sources but said they are "individuals who are reputable, individuals who speak with authority."The Pentagon shot down Van Drew's claim."There is not any truth to that -- 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.Singh said there is no evidence the drone activity is coming from any foreign entity or is the work of an adversary."We're going to continue to monitor what is happening," she said, adding, "At no point were our installations threatened when this activity was occurring."Van Drew doubled down in an interview with ABC News following the Pentagon's briefing, saying there is a "real possibility that it is a foreign entity." He said his "well-placed" sources believe there is a possibility the drones are Iranian, and that there could be a mothership hundreds of miles off the U.S. coast."They say to us there's nothing to fear, but we have no idea who it is, where it comes from, what it's about and what it can do," he said.Van Drew proposed that flight restrictions be placed over the New Jersey airspace "and an order be given to neutralize any drone aircraft in violation of those restrictions" in a letter addressed to President Joe Biden on Wednesday.“In neutralizing these drones we must ensure the safety of people on ground and should also attempt to keep the drones intact so that we may study their capabilities," he wrote.New Jersey Rep. Chris Smith has called on Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to help identify and address the widespread drone activity over the state.
"As you no doubt are also aware, there have been numerous instances of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) flying over New Jersey, including in close proximity to sensitive sites and critical infrastructure, to include military installations located in my district," he stated in a letter to Lloyd on Tuesday.He noted that Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL) possesses the capability to identify and take down unauthorized unmanned aerial systems."I urgently request all capabilities possessed by the Department of Defense, especially those in use by JBMDL to be immediately deployed to identify and address the potential threats posed by UAS over the state of New Jersey," he said.During a congressional hearing on Tuesday, Smith said an officer saw "50 drones" coming in off the ocean earlier this week in Ocean County. He has also said that a U.S. Coast Guard commanding officer stationed in Barnegat Light reported that "between 12 and 30" drones were following a USCG motor lifeboat over the weekend.New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker has called for greater transparency from federal authorities on the unexplained drone activity in a letter on Tuesday to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg."I recognize the need to maintain operational security of ongoing investigations and that this situation requires complex interagency coordination. However, there is a growing sense of uncertainty and urgency across the state -- from constituents and local officials alike -- despite assurances that the drones pose no known threats to public safety," he stated in the letter. "As such, I urge you to share any relevant information about these drone sightings with the public. Without transparency, I believe that rumors, fear, and misinformation will continue to spread."
The public should be "immediately briefed" by federal agencies, including the FBI, FAA and DHS, on what they know, New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer said."I think people have a right to know what's going on," he told ABC News Live anchor Kayna Whitworth on Wednesday.Gottheimer, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, noted he is "not concerned there's any imminent threats to security" in New Jersey or D.C. based on the briefings he's had."That said, you can't just fly drones anywhere," he said. "This can't just be game on. We need to know who these drones belong to, where they're coming from. And if they're not welcome, we've got to take them out."Police in Warren County, New Jersey, have also expressed frustration at the "lack of transparency" over the drone activity."We are shocked by the lack of response or update from Federal and State officials," Chief Scott D. Robb, president of the Warren County Police Chief's Association, said in a statement Wednesday. "We do not agree with their response that there is no known threat to the public at this time. It is our stance that just the unidentified drone flying over us is a threat in itself."DHS said in its handout on the New Jersey drones that there have been other drone sightings "of this type" both nationally and internationally.Biden has been briefed on the drones and is "closely tracking the activity" and "coordinating closely" with DHS and the FBI to continue investigating these incidents, the White House said Tuesday."This is something that DHS and FBI are tracking very, very closely," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday.
The U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) is also monitoring reports of "unauthorized drone flights in the vicinity of military installations in New Jersey," a spokesperson said."Local law enforcement and the FBI are currently investigating," the spokesperson said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that at this time NORTHCOM has not been requested to assist with the events but is prepared to respond "when asked or should the situation escalate to threaten any DoD installations."___
>>1367997>holy fuck, hamas attacked Israel>congress: IRAN! >so someone tried to assassinate Trump..>congress: IRAN! IT WAS IRAN!>anybody else seeing these drones in the sky? are these aliens?>congress: IRAN! IRANIAN MOTHERSHIPS! AFHFHFADKHSFBKHSFBBHKSDCan someone get these zionist dickriders out of DC please? We know you faggots want to destroy Iran. You don't need to blame everything bad that happens in the world on Iran to go to war. You can just sign a bill.
>>1368013Every time someone complains about the zionist dickriders in DC, two more zionist dickriders arrive in DC.
what is this bluebeans gay shit?It is either:1) Authorized government drone2) Authorized corporate drone3) unauthorized sky piratesand the FAA would know immediately based on the airspace and squawk code
They mostly just look like planes to me or am I missing something?
>>1368013What's wrong with the first one?
>>1368032>>1368034drone swarms are not normal>Smith said an officer saw "50 drones" coming in off the ocean earlier this week in Ocean County. He has also said that a U.S. Coast Guard commanding officer stationed in Barnegat Light reported that "between 12 and 30" drones were following a USCG motor lifeboat over the weekend.Very few people or groups of people could do this and get away with it.
>>1368044It's the military testing new drone techThe military knows exactly what it is otherwise they'd be deploying radio jammers to these locations and downing the drones.
>>1368046For what possible purpose? And why wouldn't the US military test their drones at Area 51 Why New Jersey?
>>1368036Hamas is the elected government of Gaza (unironically).Netanyahu admitted to funding Hamas so that Gaza would avoid electing a government that wanted a two-state solution.>https://www.timesofisrael.com/for-years-netanyahu-propped-up-hamas-now-its-blown-up-in-our-faces/Israel's entire strategy in the middle-east involves creating terrorist regimes, propping them up, defending themselves from said terrorists and using the subsequent conflicts to gain more land. This is why they keep accusing neighboring nations of housing terrorists.They dropped the 'we must defend ourselves reee' line with the Golan heights though.
Dunno if it's bullshit but last night, someone over on /pol/ was claiming there were drones in the SE metro Detroit suburbs. The anon posted pics.
>>1368075How many drones? a few? dozens?
>>1368047Why do testing in a remote area when you can do the testing in a populated area and can drum up conspiracy theories to distract the public and make them crazy over everything? Just like the Trump shooting. All of this is theatre.
>>1368082There is a small chance it actually might be Iran doing this.
>>1368084Can you really imagine any foreign power flying unknown drones over military bases on US soil without them being either shot down or grounded via jamming?
>>1368085The Chinese have flown how many balloons over US soil now? 10? 50? How many are they not telling us about?
>>1368091Well balloons and drones are pretty different. They're way higher up so you can't easily shoot them down from the ground and you also can't signal jam them. I mean if you're saying the US military is so incompetent that Iran of all places can be flying drones all over bases and taking pics of all the generals with their panties down all with complete impunity I wouldn't actually be surprised, but it's still funny and weird.
>>1368091>us
>>1368097>They're way higher up so you can't easily shoot them down from the ground and you also can't signal jam them.That sounds like a challenge. Challenge accepted.
I see them coming in from the N/NE, Staten island area, same time every night except last, due to weather I assume.4 just came in from same direction, I took one of my laser bore sight outside and the drones left, and have not returned yet.
>>1368118But what do they do?
>they gain infuance from the shados>they groom us into compliacity>They reveal their prescence, test the waters a bit>Its probably nothing >they do more and more obvius things>our goalpost shifs>takover
>>1368013If those fuckers want war with Iran send them and their whole families. If they die, they die.Nothing of value will be lost.
>>1368252Why would they have to go when they could send 18 year old minority Army recruits?
Probably pretty easy to convert a cargo ship to a drone carrier and with shit loads of ships off the coast, it's probably pretty hard to figure out which one is launching them.Ship at sea map:https://i0.wp.com/jobbiecrew.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/0sitaw1c.jpg?ssl=1
>>1368002>Biden has been briefed on the dronesgood>Biden is "closely tracking the activity" and "coordinating closely" with DHS and the FBI to continue investigating these incidentsgreat
>>1368741He has no idea what's happening.
