All those large, enigmatic drones are still hovering in the skies above New Jersey, and Governor Phil Murphy of the Garden State is becoming somewhat worried. He is urging Washington to assist in determining the nature of this phenomenon, the potential threat these drones may pose, and what actions can be taken.
The answers he’s getting don’t seem very satisfactory.
On Monday, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy expressed that residents are understandably feeling “frustrated” due to the ongoing lack of explanations concerning the mysterious drone sightings throughout the state.
Murphy discussed the matter in a statement to Fox News Digital, indicating that both state and federal authorities have not found any evidence suggesting that the drones pose a threat to public safety. Nonetheless, he mentioned that there is minimal information available about the drones and their purpose for appearing.
Now, hang on just a moment; if he has “little-to-no information” about what the drones are or why they are appearing, then how can he rule out their being a public safety threat? I mean, they may not be, but this seems like a case of insufficient evidence.
And Governor Murphy is concerned, no matter what has or hasn’t been ruled out.
“Having said that, it’s really frustrating that we don’t have more answers as to where they’re coming from and why they’re doing what they’re doing. We had last night 49 sightings,” Murphy said, clarifying that some reports may have been mistaken or overlapping.
My colleague Teri Christoph wrote on this issue last week:
Apparently, we don’t know much more now than we did then.
Drone technology has come a long way in the last few years. Drones are being used to knock out point targets in Ukraine; drone swarms, both for surveillance and for engaging targets, undoubtedly have a future in warfare. They have the benefit of being small, hard to detect, cheap, and can be remotely controlled to a small point target like a house, a bunker, or a car. Drones with explosives are already being used in the Middle East.
It’s important to note that Acting President Donald Trump has a home in New Jersey. Coincidence?
The FBI is involved in the New Jersey mystery, if that’s any comfort.
“Witnesses have spotted the cluster of what look to be drones and a possible fixed wing aircraft,” the statement continued. “We have reports from the public and law enforcement dating back several weeks.”
I’m somewhat familiar with this general area, as some years back, while on a project in the area, we maintained an apartment in Raritan, New Jersey, only a short walk from the Raritan River. It’s unclear why drones seem to be flying in this area in particular, although there are several medical device manufacturers and pharmaceutical operations in the area.
This doesn’t seem like too big a mystery to crack, honestly. Just shoot one of the things down and have a look at it. If it’s mounting cameras, take a look at what it’s taking pictures of. Figure out who’s controlling it. But this is something that FBI Newark, the NJ State Police, and the NJ Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness should be, well, prepared for.
