Mystery drones are captivating the media and dominating Americans' conversations. When unidentified flying objects started popping up over US military installations a year ago, there wasn't much made of it. The US government acknowledged the sightings and even reported them flying over US nuclear research facilities, with little concern expressed by the national security apparatus. Now, numerous nightly drone sightings over New Jersey have taken the media by storm.
Pentagon Quick to Dismiss Drones Being From Iran
As Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh dismissed the idea that Iran might be behind the drones, other Biden officials proclaimed the sightings are unworthy of concern. Government officials seemed to be working earnestly to create a Wizard of Oz "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain" moment. To that end, the Biden administration dispatched a highly placed government official who can be depended on to always tell Americans the truth – Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas – to answer media questions. Sorry for the sarcasm.
Mayorkas recently chatted with Wolf Blitzer on CNN's Situation Room, explaining, "That's not to say that there aren't drones flying in the air, but we have no concern, at this point, with respect to a threat or any nefarious activity. The reality is, you can have a 15-year-old kid who buys a drone off the shelf and puts it up in the sky." Oh, well then, all must be right with the world.
Most Americans aren’t buying what Mayorkas is selling, including President-elect Donald Trump, whose remarks reveal serious skepticism. On Truth Social, the incoming commander-in-chief posted, "Mystery Drone sightings all over the Country. Can this really be happening without our government's knowledge? I don't think so! Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!! DJT."
Trump makes the point everyone familiar with the subject is making. The incidents are happening with such frequency and over so many locations it is inconceivable that their origin is unknown to government authorities.
US military facilities -- over which drones have been sighted -- are as widely dispersed as Mildenhall Air Base in England, Langley Air Force Base (AFB) in Virginia, Stewart AFB, New York, Naval Weapons Station Earle and Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, and nuclear research facilities in the Western United States. Recently, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) have been seen in Germany, Fox News reported,
"Drones were spotted flying over a major U.S. Air Force base in Germany earlier this month, according to media reports. The aircraft flew over a US air base at Ramstein, Reuters reported. A security source told Reuters that German authorities have not traced the operators of the drones but ruled out that they were operated by amateurs."
According to the latest news, these unmanned aircraft sightings at the large, sprawling Wright-Patterson AFB outside of Dayton, Ohio, caused the base to restrict the use of airspace immediately around the installation. This limitation impacted the medivac Medflight 8 operation in the airfield's immediate surroundings.
If there is a bright side to the UAS mystery, detecting these flying objects has brought forth bipartisan concern. "Democratic and Republican lawmakers alike have demanded an explanation for the suspicious aircraft, with Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, Cory Booker, Andy Kim, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer asking key federal officials for a briefing on the matter,” Just the News observed.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), in an X post, was more direct in his evaluation of the federal government's failure to come up with an explanation for the drones. He said, "I just think they're not being honest with us. If our government really doesn't know what these giant drones are over New Jersey and our military bases, they are more incompetent than we thought. Time for them to level with us about what's going on."
Pentagon Officials Appear to Be Wrong
When, as Trump suggested, observers recommend shooting down the ubiquitous and mystifying flying machines, some defense officials believe this is not allowed. However, they are in error. Title 10 US Code Section 130 states that when the Secretary of Defense believes the safety of people or property is in danger, the secretary can "[u]se reasonable force to disable, damage, or destroy the unmanned aircraft system or unmanned aircraft." So, why doesn't Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin authorize shooting down one of the drones to determine what it is and where it's from?
Good question. As yet unanswered.
Perhaps the greater mystery is why the US government is behaving as it is. Speaking at a surprise press conference in Mar-a-Lago on Monday, Dec. 16, Trump told reporters, "The government knows what is happening. Look, our military knows where they took off from. If it's a garage, they can go right into that garage. They know where it came from and where it went … And for some reason, they want to keep people in suspense." Without credible answers, the American people will come up with their own explanations and take action. Those actions may not be lawful.
Looking at the presence of UAS from a lighter angle, if Defense Department experts can't come up with an answer, they might look to herpetologists (who study reptiles). As this video shows, at least one species has broken the code on how to deal effectively with drones.
The views expressed are those of the author and not of any other affiliate.
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