In recent weeks, New Jersey has seen a surge in unauthorized drone activity, particularly over military areas raising concerns among residents and officials alike. Picatinny Arsenal, the U.S. Army facility in Morris County, has reported 11 confirmed drone sightings, with additional unconfirmed reports, as authorities continue to investigate the mysterious flights.
Mystery Drones Over Military Airspace
On November 13, the first verified sighting of an unauthorized drone occurred at Picatinny Arsenal, as observed by facility police or security officers. This date precedes initial reports by five days, according to Army officials. In addition to the confirmed sightings, there have been seven unconfirmed cases, including recent incidents at the military research and manufacturing site in Jefferson and Rockaway Township.
Lt. Col. Craig A. Bonham II, the Garrison Commander at Picatinny Arsenal, clarified that the drones are not linked to any activities related to the facility, stating, “While the source and cause of these aircraft operating in our area remain unknown, we can confirm that they are not the result of any Picatinny Arsenal-related activities.”
Legal and Investigative Actions
Flying drones without authorization over military installations is illegal. In response to the surge in sightings, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has expanded drone flight restrictions over both Picatinny Arsenal and Trump National Golf Club in Somerset County. These sightings are among the earliest in a series of recent drone occurrences across New Jersey, where residents have reported observing multiple drones, some of unusual size, hovering over the same areas night after night.
Governor Phil Murphy, along with other law enforcement officials, has indicated that there is no current evidence suggesting these drones pose a threat to the state. The FBI is spearheading the investigation into these incidents across New Jersey, including those reported at Picatinny Arsenal.
Tracking the Sightings
On Sunday, Governor Murphy revealed that 49 drone sightings were reported across the state, though some were later identified as planes. Ongoing investigations are focusing on the remaining reports. Picatinny Arsenal has released a timeline of 18 drone sightings, with 11 confirmed and seven unconfirmed. Confirmed sightings mean a police officer or security guard physically observed a drone, while unconfirmed ones involve reports that could not be visually verified by the responding officers.
Dates of confirmed sightings include November 13, 18, 19, 24 (two occurrences), and every night from November 28 to 30. Additional confirmed sightings happened on December 3 (two occurrences) and December 6. Unconfirmed sightings were reported on November 26 (two occurrences), December 2, December 4 (three occurrences), and December 6.
Responses from Other Military Stations
At Naval Weapons Station Earle in Colts Neck, authorities are closely monitoring drone activities. Bill Addison, a spokesperson for the station, stated, “While we have received reports from our neighboring communities and law enforcement partners regarding drone activity near the installation, there have been no reports of drone activity in the airspace above Naval Weapons Station Earle at this time.” Meanwhile, officials at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Burlington County have directed inquiries about drone sightings to the FBI.
For further information, visit Picatinny Arsenal.
Original content by Nyah Marshall. ©2024 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit nj.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
