The FBI has yet to uncover anything alarming or abnormal in its ongoing investigation into more than 5,000 reported sightings of drones in New Jersey and other states over the last month, the bureau said Monday.
The 5,000 tips generated around 100 leads for investigators, the FBI said in a rare joint statement with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Department of Defense.
The rest of the reports were ruled out by investigators, who have determined the sightings were mostly lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, law enforcement drones, airplanes and helicopters.
Some were also stars people mistook for drones.
“We have not identified anything anomalous and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast,” the agencies said.
The joint statement acknowledged “the concern among many communities” and promised federal authorities would continue to support state and local authorities with manpower and “advanced detection technology.”
Federal officials said there have been drone sightings over military bases, which the Department of Defense is investigating separately. Officials at both Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County and Naval Weapons Station Earle in Monmouth County reported seeing drones in their airspace in recent weeks.
But the statement from the FBI and other agencies said those types of sightings over military bases “are not new.”
“Local commanders are actively engaged to ensure there are appropriate detection and mitigation measures in place,” the agencies said.
The flurry of sightings across New Jersey’s night skies that began in mid-November has led to calls for answers from residents, local officials, and state and federal lawmakers. Federal authorities last week sent three drone detection systems to New Jersey to aid the attempt to unravel the mystery.
Authorities on both the state and local level have repeatedly assured the public that the drones pose no threat or national security risk. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday told residents to “calm down,” noting there’s “no evidence of anything nefarious here.”
On Monday, hours before the joint statement was issued, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said there doesn’t appear to be anything to fear.
“After days and days now of forensics work analysis, detection work and looking at the tips that came in, our assessment is that these drones represent lawful, legal, commercial, hobbyist drones — even law enforcement drones,” he told CNN.
Kirby said the investigation isn’t finished and investigators might yet “find some sort of illegal or criminal activity, some nefarious activity,” especially as additional tip comes in.
As the number of sightings has grown and a definitive explanation failed to emerge, some officials and lawmakers called for Congress to pass expanded legislation that would allow federal authorities more ways to fight possible drone threats.
In their joint statement, the FBI, FAA and other agencies joined in on the call for new laws about unmanned aircraft systems, known as UAS.
“We urge Congress to enact counter-UAS legislation when it reconvenes that would extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities to identify and mitigate any threat that may emerge,” they said.
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AJ McDougall may be reached at amcdougall@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on X at @oldmcdougall.
AJ McDougall is an enterprise reporter for NJ Advance Media, writing for both NJ.com and the Star-Ledger. She previously covered breaking news for the Daily Beast. Her writing can also be found in Vanity Fair,...