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Mystery drones have been sighted over New Jersey but White House said they do not apparently pose any threat.
For almost a month, New Jersey residents have been claiming that they sighted mysterious flying objects in the sky. The White House, the FBI, the Homeland Security said they have no idea about those
mystery drones
-- where they came from or who is controlling them but they said the objects are probably not a threat to the public or the national security.
Where have the drones been spotted?
Dozens of drones have been sighted over New Jersey, near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility; and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster. Drones are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use but are subject to local and FAA regulations. But te drone sighted are larger than those typically used by hobbyists.
No, they are not from Iran, Pentagon confirmed
US Congressman Jeff Van Drew said he heard from high sources that the flying objects were coming from an Iranian mothership in the Atlantic. "That mothership... is off the East Coast of the United States of America. They've launched drones into everything that we can see or hear," Van Drew said and added that he had his sources in high places.
The Pentagon rejected the claims and said there was no truth to that. "There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and there's no so-called mothership launching drones towards the United States," deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said. The Pentagon said these drones are not coming from any foreign entity or adversary.
What the White House said on mystery drones
National security spokesman John Kirbu said there is no evidence that "the reported
drone sightings
pose a national security or a public safety threat or have a foreign nexus". Many of the sightings, Kirby said, are actually manned aircraft that are being reported lawfully.
"While there is no known malicious activity occurring, the reported sightings there do, however, highlight a gap," he said. "So we urge Congress to pass important legislation that will extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities so that we are better prepared to identify and mitigate any potential threats to airports or other critical infrastructure."
