Experts dismiss 'unfounded' drone panic as sightings reported in New Jersey, New York and elsewhere

Ret. U.S. Army Col. Joe Buccino reacted to the unusual drone sightings on "Fox Report" Saturday, calling out the Pentagon for its mixed messages about the drones being both mysterious yet not threatening.

"It's clear here that the Pentagon has some information," Buccino said. "And I think maybe we just keep in mind here that this is the same Pentagon that back in January lied about the location and condition of the U.S. Secretary of Defense, that lied about the conditions on the ground in Ukraine, that lied about this Chinese spy balloon for about a week."

"So I think that we can't really be comfortable with the information we're receiving here."

Buccino also said that he believes it is "unlikely" that the drones are coming from overseas.

"I think given the size of these drones and given the likelihood that these are piloted by line of sight and maybe piloted from the water, but I don't think this is coming from hundreds of miles away," he explained. "I just don't think, you know, drones of this size could come from hundreds of miles away because it's probably also powered by lithium batteries. I think this is coming somewhere close to New Jersey, somewhere close to the coast."

Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., attested to seeing the mysterious drones flying over the tri-state area on Saturday's episode of "Fox Report."

While speaking to host Jon Scott, Malliotakis said that she saw the unusual drones just the day before.

"I'm seeing them myself, at least what appears to be drones, and the difference between a plane and a drone is that, you know, the drones have the ability to hover over a particular area," the Republican said. "And last night, I saw a multiple [drones] appear to be hovering pretty high up in the sky."

"And the bottom line here is that they're coming out mostly after sunset," Malliotakis added. "And FAA regulations does not allow for that. They're violating regulations because they're coming out after sunset and they leave before sunrise."

The Staten Island representative added that she believes the U.S. government is behind the drones, and called for officials to be truthful about the aircraft.

"In doing my own research, it does seem to me that this would be activity from our own government," Malliotakis posited. "I'm not sure if it's related to counterterrorism efforts or what exactly is the purpose, but they should be honest and just tell the public. The fact that members of Congress and United States senators have been asking for more information, a classified briefing and have not been receiving it, is very troublesome."

Former F-18 U.S. Navy fighter pilot Lt. Ryan Graves said he dismissed the involvement of commercial contractors in drone sightings reported around New Jersey in recent days. 

"Based on my analysis of the situation and the statements made by the Pentagon and the legislative branch, I cannot believe that this is our own government acting in such confusion. God help us if so," Graves told Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum Thursday on "The Story."

"It's the same for commercial contractors," he continued. "There's zero benefit, all risk for operating these things so close to the ground, especially if it's some type of classified equipment."

Read the full article about the recent drone sightings by Joshua Comins

Republican New Jersey State Senator Douglas Steinhardt called out the federal government's "weak and feckless response" to the recent drone sightings during a Fox News Channel interview on Saturday.

"There's no new information at all, and I think all of this highlights one of the biggest problems here," Steinhardt said. "And it's just a lack of federal regulation to kind of keep up with the evolving drone technology...[the U.S. government has] sole jurisdiction over the skies and can't seem to come up with a cohesive answer or a singular plan how to address it."

During the same segment, retired U.S. Naval officer Steve Rogers chimed in and noted that the U.S. intelligence community has the means to crack down on the drones.

"In all my years working with military intelligence, I could assure you that we have the most sophisticated intelligence gathering apparatus on the face of the earth,land, sea, air and space," Rogers said. "So the fact of the matter is, is that I believe our government knows the who, what, when, where and why of these drones. And for whatever reason, they're just not sharing that with us."

"I've got to tell you, if people are feeling threatened, and our government is not responding, the only people who should be shooting them now is our military," the retired officer added. "That's when our military has to get involved."

During an appearance on "Fox News Live" on Saturday, former CIA operations officer Laura Ballman called the recent mysterious drone sightings "extremely unsettling," and posited that they may be part of a "classified exercise."

"Now in terms of who is behind this, you do seeing the statements that have been made by John Kirby, who has said that these objects are not operating illegally," Ballman told host Eric Shawn.

"Coupled with the several op-eds that have been out there in the last 24 hours about the need to look at our detection systems, [it] makes me think perhaps this is actually a classified exercise to test either evasion technology or detection technology in urban areas."

President-elect Trump on Saturday seized on the mysterious drone controversy in New Jersey to mock one-time ally Chris Christie with an AI-generated image. (Donald Trump/X)

President-elect Trump on Saturday seized on the mysterious drone controversy in New Jersey to mock one-time ally turned nemesis Chris Christie. 

The president-elect, who will take office in just over a month, shared an artificially generated meme of the former New Jersey governor eating McDonald’s with more McDonald’s meals being delivered by drones, mocking his weight on Truth Social and X. 

Christie endorsed Trump in 2016 but was later axed as the head of his transition team. 

Read the full article about Chris Christie by Brie Stimson

Multiple drones are seen over Bernardsville, N.J., Dec. 5, 2024 (Brian Glenn/TMX via AP)

President-elect Donald Trump wants to create an Iron Dome missile shield over the United States.

But what about the drones flying underneath it? "Mystery Drone sightings all over the Country. 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!!!" he wrote Friday on Truth Social.

Couldn’t agree more, except please don’t get your shotgun out of the closet and start rooting around for a box of shells. It’s illegal to interfere with any aircraft in flight, manned or unmanned.  Maybe its deer season where you live, but alas, it is never drone season. Right now, statutes limit even the military’s ability to intercept drones in the U.S.

Read the full op-ed about NJ drones by Rebecca Grant

A New Jersey state Senator is calling on Gov. Phil Murphy to declare a state of emergency to ground all drones as a way of getting to the bottom of ongoing reports of unmanned craft swarming the Garden State in recent weeks. 

State Sen. Jon Bramnick, a Republican, told "Cavuto Live" on Saturday that he also wants the FAA to join in the state of emergency as the public becomes increasingly frustrated with a lack of answers as to what is going on in the skies. 

Bramnick says he has contacted Murphy about enacting a state of emergency but has not gotten a response.  

Read the full article about Jon Bramnick by Michael Dorgan

Maryland Senate Candidate Larry Hogan speaks to members of the media after visiting Paint Branch Elementary School on August 29, 2024 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland has said that he personally witnessed "dozens of large drones" flying above his home in Davidsonville, Maryland, on Thursday evening as the mystery surrounding the various unexplained sightings continues. 

"Last night, beginning at around 9:45 pm, I personally witnessed (and videoed) what appeared to be dozens of large drones in the sky above my residence in Davidsonville, Maryland (25 miles from our nation’s capital)," Hogan wrote on X Friday. "I observed the activity for approximately 45 minutes."

The former governor said he does not know if these drone sightings are evidence of a threat to public safety or national security, but he called out the federal government for a "complete lack of transparency" in the face of Americans' concerns.

Read the full article about Larry Hogan by Chris Pandolfo and Michael Dorgan

Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., held a Saturday press conference about the recent drone activity above New Jersey, calling on the U.S. government to get to the bottom of the aircraft sightings.

Speaking from Seaside Heights, Smith questioned why the federal government cannot to do more to track their drones and discover their origins.

"I've written Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin asking the Pentagon to authorize the use of force to down one or more of these unmanned threats to uncover the mystery, bring them down over the ocean, over an area where there's no population," he said. "Bring them down and find out who's doing it."

Smith also expressed the belief that the drones were tied to a foreign adversary.

"The elusive maneuvering of these drones, I would suggest, suggests a major military power sophistication," the Republican said. "That begs the question whether they have been deployed to test our defense capabilities or worse, by violent dictatorships, perhaps maybe Russia or China or Iran or North Korea."

"I mean, they had the capability and they certainly have the motive," Smith added. "The Pentagon has said the drones are not ours."

Photos taken in the Bay Shore section of Toms River of what appear to be large drones hovering in the area at high altitudes in New Jersey on Sunday, December 8, 2024. The drones seemed to be well above the 400 feet height FAA regulations allow. (Credit: Doug Hood/Asbury Park Press/IMAGN)

U.S. national security officials revealed new details about their investigation into the mysterious drones flying over New Jersey in a call with reporters on Saturday afternoon.

An FBI official told journalists that their agency has received 5,000 tips since the first mysterious drone was seen flying above New Jersey in November. Of those 5,000 tips, less than 100 of them warranted further investigation, the official said.

The FBI official added that investigators have found no evidence of large-scale unmanned drone activity, despite the fact that there has been an uptick in drone activity in the Garden State in recent weeks.

On the same call, a DHS official said that there is no evidence that foreign adversaries are involved with the drones and there is no proof of any threat to public safety.

Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy (right) and Sgt. Kevin Fennessy monitor air traffic in the area from their trailer in Seaside Heights Thursday evening, December 12, 2024. Law enforcement agencies have received numerous reports of unidentified drones flying in the area. (Thomas P. Costello / Asbury Park Press)

A New Jersey sheriff hunting for drones has raised concern after his office revealed that one of the mystery aircraft it had tracked "easily" evaded their own device before disappearing into the night.

Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy told News Nation his office launched its own drone after one of his officers called in 50 unmanned aerial vehicles "coming off the ocean." 

“We contacted state police. We contacted the FBI. We contacted the Coast Guard, at which point the Coast Guard went out with their boat and they reported seeing 13 (drones) following their boat,” Mastronardy told the outlet. “And then the Coast Guard also advised that they went over them about 300 feet and had a wingspan of about eight feet.”

The department shared that the unidentified drones, estimated to be 8 to 10 feet wide, evade detection because they don't give off heat. 

Mastronardy called on the White House to sent someone to the Jersey Shore to observe for themselves what is happening.

“Come to the Jersey Shore,” he said. “I know it’s wintertime, but come see what we see. Then, you know, maybe have a better appreciation for why our residents are concerned.”

Drones were spotted flying over a major U.S. Air Force base in Germany earlier this month, according to media reports.

The aircraft flew over a U.S. air base at Ramstein, Reuters reported.

A security source told Reuters that German authorities have not traced the operators of the drones, but ruled out that they were operated by amateurs.

An Air Force spokesperson told the news outlet that there were “no impacts to base residents, facilities, or assets.”

“In concert with host nation authorities, we continue to monitor the airspace to ensure safety and security of the community,” the spokesperson said.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Air Force. 

The sightings were flagged by German officials over the base on Dec. 3 and 4.

This photo provided by Trisha Bushey shows the evening sky and points of light near in Lebanon Township, N.J., on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. (Trisha Bushey via AP)

Unsatisfied with assurances from public officials, internet sleuths have set up a Facebook group dedicated to solving the unexplained drone sightings reported over New Jersery.

"New Jersey Mystery Drones – let's solve it" currently has over 49,000 members, up from 39,000 late Thursday, the Associated Press first reported. Members of the public group are posting photos and videos of purported drone sightings and commenters have supplied various theories to explain what is happening.

One video shows a whitish light flying in a darkened sky, and one commenter concludes it’s otherworldly. “Straight up orbs,” the person says. Others weigh in to say it’s a plane or maybe a satellite. Another group called for hunting the drones literally, shooting them down like turkeys. (Do not shoot at anything in the sky, experts warn.)

Trisha Bushey, 48, of Lebanon Township, New Jersey, lives near Round Valley Reservoir where there have been numerous sightings. She told the AP she first posted photos online last month wondering what the objects were and became convinced they were drones when she saw how they moved and when her son showed her on a flight tracking site that no planes were around. Now she’s glued to the Mystery Drones page, she said.

“I find myself — instead of Christmas shopping or cleaning my house — checking it,” she said.

She doesn’t buy what New Jersey's governor said, that the drones aren’t a risk to public safety. Gov. Phil Murphy told President Biden on Friday that residents need answers. The federal Homeland Security Department and FBI also said in a joint statement they have no evidence that the sightings pose “a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.”

“How can you say it’s not posing a threat if you don’t know what it is?” she said. “I think that’s why so many people are uneasy.”

The Associated Press contributed to this update.

Drone experts have little idea what the dozens of drone sightings over New Jersey could be, but have ruled out the possibility that they might be the work of a classified government program. 

They say the lack of a clear image or any residual hardware makes it difficult to make any guesses. 

"Until something is found, it’s really difficult to say," said Brett Velicovich, Fox News contributor and CEO of Expert Drones. "We haven’t seen any clear images."

The drone sightings were first reported nearly a month ago – on Nov. 18 – and have been spotted every night from about dusk until around 11 p.m.

The drones are "six feet in diameter," fly in a coordinated way with their lights off and "appear to avoid detection by traditional methods," according to New Jersey state Rep. Dawn Fantasia, who relayed a briefing given by law enforcement. Reports have ranged from four to 180 sightings per night, throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut.

With little information on their origin from law enforcement, public speculation has run wild. 

Velicovich poured cold water on the idea that the drones could be part of a classified government test – one theory circulated to explain the lack of information shared with the public. 

"I find it hard to believe," said Velicovich. "Maybe it started that way, and now people think everything they see is a drone . . . . I’ve seen a lot of images that look like planes. 

But he said that when he worked on classified drone projects, the protocol was always to inform local police. 

"There's a reason why we test stuff in Area 51 or all these remote locations, so that you don't have to cause public hysteria. And then when we would test stuff in cities, we would always, whenever we do secret exercises in cities, we would always inform the local police." 

Stacie Pettyjohn, drone expert with the Center for New American Security, agreed. "They would be doing it on a military base or a testing facility. And you know, they're not overflying sort of sensitive industrial locations, like they have been in New Jersey." 

Fox News Digital's Morgan Phillips contributed to this update.

An uptick in alleged drone sightings along the East Coast touched off a flurry of panicked calls for investigation on Friday from residents and state lawmakers, even as public officials stress the aircraft in question are, in fact, being flown lawfully, and a retired port authority aviation expert tells Fox News Digital that fears are overblown.

The drone complaints began pouring in last month in New Jersey, where witnesses and residents first began reporting drone sightings off of coastal areas, including off of Cape May, a scenic town located outside of Atlantic City.

More recently, lawmakers in New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Maryland have reported new alleged drone sightings in their home states, with some witnesses alleging the aircraft in question have been the "size of cars" or seen flying above sensitive infrastructure or in restricted airspace.

Retired Port Authority Police Detective Lt. John Ryan told Fox News Digital in an interview Friday that the uptick in activity is likely due to two things.

The first, he said, is that drones are a fast-evolving technology that has seen a boom in both recreational and commercial use in the U.S. in the last 10 years. Federal data on drone registration reflects this sharp uptick in use, most if not all of which is legal. As of October of this year, there were more than 790,000 drones registered with the Federal Aviation Association (FAA), and nearly 400,000 registered commercial drones. 

That's "just to give you an idea" of the magnitude of the number of legal drones in the U.S., said Ryan, whose extensive police career included serving for a decade as the emergency service special operations commander at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, and then later, the chief officer of the Port Authority, whose role includes oversight of all transportation facilities, including Kennedy, LaGuardia and all other airports and ports in the area.

The second mistake, Ryan said, is that the individuals in question are asking the wrong authorities for help.

"The mistake I see people making is that they're going to the wrong agencies and asking these questions," he added.

The FAA is the federal body tasked with registering drones and other U.S. aircraft. It’s also the one tasked with monitoring recreational and commercial drone use in the U.S.

"In New Jersey, they've been asking the FBI, they've been asking the Department of Homeland Security — they've been asking everybody except the people that they should be asking," said Ryan.

Fox News Digital's Breanne Deppisch contributed to this update.