Mystery drones flying over the US have prompted wild theories, ranging from the government faking alien attacks to an incursion from Iran.
Hundreds of sightings have concentrated in the east coast, but unidentified aircraft have also been seen as far as Los Angeles, Germany, and even the UK in the past weeks.
The ‘drones’, if this is what they are, are said to be around the size of a car and some travel without lights.
New Jersey assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia said they appeared to be able to avoid detection by helicopter and radio, and ‘operate in a coordinated manner’.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorka said some of the sightings were of people mistaking ordinary aircraft for drones, with witnesses urged to check Flightradar24 if they see one, to see if it is actually a scheduled flight.
But others were less circumspect, with president elect Donald Trump posting: ‘Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!’
The Pentagon had to deny the drones were sent by Iran after congressman Jeff Van Drew claimed ‘high sources’ had told him they were coming from a ‘mothership’ in the Atlantic belonging to the country.
Little is known (publicly, at least) about the drones, but last month the UK also saw strange drones above US airbases.
Small unmanned aerial systems (UASs) were reported in the vicinity of the military significant ‘Liberty Wing’ facility as well as fellow RAF bases Mildenhall, also in Suffolk, nearby Feltwell in Norfolk and Fairford in Wiltshire.
Close to 1,000 drone sightings were reported in less than a month in New Jersey, the New York Post reported.
On December 12 alone, there were 193 drone sightings called in.
Tens of thousands of people have joined a Facebook page called ‘New Jersey Mystery Drones – let’s solve it’, with people posting their photo and video sightings.
It is not just the remit of conspiracy seekers, with even the governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan, sharing a video of ‘dozens of large drones’ above his home in Davidsonville, saying ‘I assure you they are not airplanes’.
Writing on Facebook, he said he personally witnessed them for around 45 minutes.
‘Like many who have observed these drones, I do not know if this increasing activity over our skies is a threat to public safety or national security,’ he said. ‘But the public is growing increasingly concerned and frustrated with the complete lack of transparency and the dismissive attitude of the federal government.
‘The government has the ability to track these from their point of origin but has mounted a negligent response.
‘We are being told that neither the White House, the military, the FBI, or Homeland Security have any idea what they are, where they came from, or who has launched or is controlling them–and that they pose no threat.
‘That response is entirely unacceptable. I join with the growing bipartisan chorus of leaders demanding that the federal government immediately address this issue. The American people deserve answers and action now.’
The federal Homeland Security Department and FBI 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’.
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