Mystery Drones

[jazz4cash]

I’ve seen a few comments from traditional media but this is blowing up on Redit, tictok, X, etc. People reporting drones hovering mysteriously over various areas including military bases. Gov’t officials are responding but can’t explain. What is going on ?

 

[easysurfer]

My question is why can't someone use a high power camera and lens (like those for sky watching) and get a clear picture of one of those drone? All the ones that are shown are blurry that can be anything.

 

[joesxm3]

The most plausible conspiracy theory I have seen proposed by a guy that makes military drones is that they are using sensors on the drones to look for something they are very concerned about. Maybe some radioactive material.

 

[USGrant1962]

I'm not convinced it is real. This all started in the area of all the major NYC airports and many analyses of individual sighting videos have concluded that they were airplanes. Add in helos, small airport airplanes and random hobbyist drones and there were enough "sightings" to create a critical mass of reports. Then I suspect it became a feedback loop where people started looking for "drones" and saw airplanes, helos, and a few hobbyist drones and added to the reports. Then drone hobbyists flew more at night for fun to add to the hysteria.

Having said that, I think the US military is behind the curve in drone warfare. We seen to be ahead with Reapers and other large drones that do missions formerly done by airplanes, but in the realm of cheap, mass-deployed drone surveillance and weapons we seem to be behind Ukraine, Russia and others. Maybe this episode, real or not, will wake up DoD on drone defense. Seriously, if these are really unlicensed, unidentified drones why can't we capture or demolish them?

 

[kgtest]

I don''t know if we are behind. The US has been making some crazy drones for a long time.

 

[joesxm3]

I saw a strange light in the sky last night that seemed to be hovering. It was weird enough that I called my neighbor.

However it turned out to be a helicopter that was heading directly at me so I did not perceive motion until it came closer.

 

[audreyh1]

We always have helicopters and blimps around here.

 

[target2019]

Testing of AEGIS, perimeter warning systems, etc.

Testing of newer tilt rotor transport.

Increased number of drones purchased.

Planes coming at ya, and going away.

Commercial traffic.

Amazon, Walmart drone delivery.

Helicopters.

All fueled by a large number of nextdoor, ring and reddit users looking up and becoming part of a confirmation feedback loop.

Mix in some weird NJ congressmen, and...

 

[rembrandt]

 

[G POP]

Nothing to see here. DW is directly involved with military unmanned a/c. DS is stationed at Lakehurst and is involved with helicopters. DS said that one of his aircrew is in the emergency room because someone on the ground was pointing a laser at their huey. Other helo's have been shot at. This is ridiculous over reaction and the media running with a story to get clicks. Most of the sightings are aircraft, either fixed wing of helo's. Some drones but they are being flown by hobbyists. I have been closely involved with all types of military a/c (to include unmanned) for over 30 years. Trust me, people DO NOT know what they are looking at. ESPECIALLY at night. With all of my experience I am occasionally fooled by what I THINK I see. Zero threat other than over reaction.

 

[mystang52]

If this is indeed an overblown much ado about nothing, .....
ETA I removed my comment after this excerpt.

 

[street]

shoot one down and see what it is and then be transparent with the news. Vola!!

 

[donheff]

I just heard on the news the former Maryland Governor Hogan reported a drone last night and it turned out he was looking at the Orion constellation. That seems one hell of a stretch.

 

[Car-Guy]

We always have helicopters and blimps around here.

But they aren't aliens from another world.... But they are most likely looking for aliens, from another "space".

 

[Zathras]

If this is indeed an overblown much ado about nothing, shouldn't there be a formal announcement by DHS, maybe Transportation Dept, or FAA explicitly saying so? I recall, fairly recently, there were congressional hearings on UFO's, for Pete's sake. Surely there can be more overt actions taken with potential security problem, or pointedly stating there is no security issue. If such announcements were made, I'll withdraw what I wrote.

Part of the problem is more people are getting their ‘news’ from sources like X/Twitter or other social media.

A few lap up conspiracy theories (drones are coming from an Iranian ship off the coast!) and others just start thinking they are seeing drones.

You also get irresponsible drone operators looking to be part of the spectacle. And, lots of misidentifications.

Here is, IMO, a good, rational story.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/15/us/drone-sightings-east-coast/index.html

It includes a number of formal announcements.
In short though, these organizations don’t know what every single report is. They are finding a very high noise to signal ratio. And they are continuing to look into the few unexplained reports.

 

[target2019]

If this is indeed an overblown much ado about nothing, shouldn't there be a formal announcement by DHS, maybe Transportation Dept, or FAA explicitly saying so? I recall, fairly recently, there were congressional hearings on UFO's, for Pete's sake. Surely there can be more overt actions taken with potential security problem, or pointedly stating there is no security issue. If such announcements were made, I'll withdraw what I wrote.

Reasonable responses are not saying this is overblown, but more specifically we have a significant population that is hysteria- and conspiracy-driven. Most instances are simply mis-identification. This is clearly spelled out in posts here. Local authorities are inundated by citizen calls that have no basis. We don't have enough officers to come out and watch this "threat."

There are security perimeters established that are not common knowledge. Hints from others here kinda tell you this. The military and state authorities in the know are not permitted to tell you about classified or secure measures. Why would you inform your adversaries of your counter-measures?

To answer your central questions, here is one recent response, easily found.

Background Press Call on the Ongoing Response to Reported Drone Sightings | The White House

Via Teleconference MODERATOR: (In progress) -- discuss the ongoing interagency response to the reported drone sightings. Today, we have representatives

www.whitehouse.gov

 

[folivier]

But what is interesting is these drones have lights on them. So they're not stealth by any means.
BTW how long before Porky comes around?

 

[MichaelB]

BTW how long before Porky comes around?

He’s headed this way by drone.

 

[punkinhead]

shoot one down and see what it is and then be transparent with the news. Vola!!

Shooting down aircraft over populated areas isn't a great plan. Especially when they're most likely commercial or general aviation planes and helicopters with civilians aboard.

 

[Qs Laptop]

If this is indeed an overblown much ado about nothing, shouldn't there be a formal announcement by DHS, maybe Transportation Dept, or FAA explicitly saying so? I recall, fairly recently, there were congressional hearings on UFO's, for Pete's sake. Surely there can be more overt actions taken with potential security problem, or pointedly stating there is no security issue. If such announcements were made, I'll withdraw what I wrote.

House Speaker Mike Johnson told Fox News he is getting a "classified briefing" Thursday in Washington on the mysterious drones that are being spotted flying across New Jersey.

The Louisiana Republican, speaking to Fox News Senior Congressional Correspondent Chad Pergram, called the situation a "quandary."

"I'm going to try to go get a classified briefing to see what we know, but the hearings have not yielded much yet," Johnson said.

New Jersey drones: House Speaker Johnson says he's getting a classified briefing today

House Speaker Mike Johnson tells Fox News he is getting a classified briefing in Washington today on the mysterious drone sightings in New Jersey.

www.foxnews.com

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

 

[Qs Laptop]

Porky is incoming...

 

[street]

Shooting down aircraft over populated areas isn't a great plan. Especially when they're most likely commercial or general aviation planes and helicopters with civilians aboard.

Intelligence knows if an aircraft or drone and if human is on board.

 

[target2019]

He’s headed this way by drone.

Hope he gets here in time.

 

[Lsbcal]

Clearly all these "drone" sightings are mistaken.

They are really just Santa and his reindeer making practice runs. Relax folks.