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In recent weeks, people in several states, including California, have reported seeing drone-like objects flying in swarms across the night sky.
Concerns over the sightings have renewed in recent days, with some officials calling for calm.
But there are still many unanswered questions about why so many drones are being seen by people, and if this is a rare event, what causes it.
Here’s what we know:
Officials downplay concerns
Federal officials said multiple sightings of unmanned aircraft over the weekend over New Jersey and other states were “actually manned aircraft being mistaken for unmanned aircraft.”
Officials said in a White House statement Saturday that there was no evidence of illegal activity or foreign involvement with the drones.
“At this time, we do not believe that criminal activity is involved, there is a national security threat, there is a specific public safety threat, or that a malicious foreign actor is involved with these drones. “The basis has not been determined,” the department said. A Department of Homeland Security official said at a press conference.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday morning urged people to “calm down” and stressed there was “no evidence that there was anything sinister here.”
Murphy did not provide details about the federal investigation into the sightings, but said there is a “very sophisticated system” involving “very sophisticated individuals” to figure out what is going on. said.
The epicenter was in New Jersey
Reports of drones flying in the sky have been increasing for three weeks. New Jersey and neighboring states are the epicenter of sightings.
There have been some reports in California, but far fewer than on the East Coast.
Officials said on Nov. 18, multiple reports of drones operating overnight were received through the New Jersey Suspicious Activity Reporting System. The FBI began investigating the sighting two days later.
By Dec. 3, the FBI network had set up 800 tip lines to free up 911 call centers that were receiving calls about drones. Approximately 5,000 reports have been received through the national tip line, but less than 100 have been deemed worthy of further investigation.
FBI officials, through visual observation teams across New Jersey, “confirmed that all reported sightings of large fixed-wing aircraft were manned aircraft.” This sighting also appears to be consistent with approach patterns at Newark Liberty, John F. Kennedy, and LaGuardia airports.
“This modeling shows that manned aviation is very often mistaken for unmanned aviation or UAS,” they said.
Homeland Security officials also said: “To date, we have determined that there is no evidence of foreign involvement in landing drones from vessels in the area.”
view from southern california
Residents of Southern California are also joining the booming drone detection efforts nationwide.
On social media, viral videos from Temecula and Riverside appeared to show groups of glowing objects floating in the sky.
Temecula music producer Damon Angell posted several videos on Instagram showing what he classified as suspicious lights coming from the overpass.
In a subsequent video, he said he hoped the video of the suspected drone, which has racked up millions of views online, would help draw attention to the issue. Another video by a Riverside TikTok user claimed to see several unidentified objects in the sky.
FAA warns of drone rules
On Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration released guidelines detailing the use of drones. “More and more people are using drones, which means more people are becoming aware of them in the skies,” the FAA’s guidance reads.
The FAA emphasized that it is legal to fly drones in most parts of the United States, day or night, as long as they stay below 400 feet, avoid other aircraft, and do not pose a danger to people or property.
Two temporary flight restrictions were placed at military base Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey and Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Picatinny Arsenal’s restrictions extend to 2 nautical miles and 2,000 feet and are set to expire on December 26th. Trump Golf Course’s restrictions are limited to 1 nautical mile and 1,000 feet and are set to expire on December 20th.
Mr. Murphy and New York Gov. Cathy Hochul are asking Congress to renew federal authority to investigate and track drones and give state authorities the authority to create their own drone mitigation programs, as well as the Anti-UAS Authority for Safety. – Urged Congress to pass a reauthorization law.
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