Since the start of November drones have been spotted over parts of New Jersey and the East Coast in America — and now they have been spotted over US bases in the UK too
Several mysterious drones have been reported flying over parts of New Jersey and the East Coast in the past weeks, with reports also emerging of sightings in the UK.
Dozens of reports of drones have been made since the start of November, with several appearing over parts of New Jersey, the East Coast and now over US bases in Britain.
Since the start of November, there have been numerous reports from members of the public seeing drones over parts of New Jersey and the East Coast. Initially the drones were spotting flying above the Raritan River, which feeds the Round Valley Reservoir — the state’s largest aquifer, about 50 miles west of New York City.
UK mystery sightings
However sightings have now also been reported in the UK, as Brits have been left stunned after seeing a suspected drone flying close to an American air base in Britain, reports The Daily Mail. A suspected drone could be seen flying over Hockwold cum Wilton, just six miles from the RAF Lakenheath base, in Suffolk.
Officials from the FBI, Pentagon, FAA and other agencies have sought to assure people that the drones are not a threat to national security or public safety. Nor are they the handywork of a malicious foreign actor.
But, in America, experts have been warning that the drone sightings could be intelligence gathering by Iran or Russia, whilst a former British military intelligence Colonel has also said the recent drone sightings in the UK, bared the hallmarks of an operation by Russia’s secretive GRU.
A British farmer said: “I first saw them on the farm I work at, I was leaving work at 4pm on Friday evening and saw one flying way from Feltwell low to the ground, I almost thought it was a helicopter, it was so big.”
The drones are expected to have been first spotted in over the US bases in Britain on November 20 and then continued to be spotted for several days, baring a resemblance to the drone sightings in New Jersey. British authorities also previously announced that 60 soldiers were being sent to investigate the sightings at the three UK bases.
Drones the size of cars in New Jersey
Meanwhile, reports in New Jersey have included drones the size of cars and sightings have since spread statewide. Concern was worsened when the New Jersey police also confirmed they had sent a drone to track a mystery aircraft, but the aircraft ‘easily’ evaded their device and vanished into thin air.
Trisha Bushey, 48, of Lebanon Township, New Jersey, lives near Round Valley Reservoir where there have been numerous sightings and said she doesn’t believe that the drones aren’t a risk to public safety.
“How can you say it’s not posing a threat if you don’t know what it is?” she said. “I think that’s why so many people are uneasy.”
Drone sightings have now been reported in New York, where a permit is required and the city is now investigating and collaborating with New Jersey and federal officials on the matter. Whilst the FBI, Homeland Security and state police are investigating the sightings, authorities have said they don’t know if it is one drone that has been spotted many times or if there are multiple aircraft being flown in a coordinated effort.
Foreign attack concerns
Since the first sightings and new sightings now in the UK, speculation has increased online, with some expressing concerns that the drone or drones could be part of an attack plan by foreign agents. Whilst officials have stressed that there are ongoing investigations into the drones, they have found no evidence to support concerns of the sightings being part of something more sinister.
Authorities currently do not know who sent the drones but the White House shared that a review of the reported sightings found that many of them are actually manned aircraft and are being flown lawfully, echoing the opinion of officials and drone experts.
The federal Homeland Security Department and FBI also 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.”
Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia said the reported drones have been up to 1.8 metres in diameter and sometimes travel with their lights switched off. This is much larger than those typically flown by drone hobbyists, and she said they appear to avoid detection by traditional methods such as helicopter and radio.
