And Just Like That, The Drones Stopped Flying Over New Jersey
SEASIDE HEIGHTS, NJ –
Drone sightings in Ocean County and other part of the state are down this week. This comes after state and federal authorities, who previously dismissed the sightings as planes, planets, and stars, started looking into it.
According to Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy, whose agency operates an oceanfront drone command center, sightings are also down.
After reports of large car-sized drones flying over military bases, trailing Coast Guard vessels, and swarming the beachhead at up to 50 strong, they have suddenly stopped appearing.
For weeks, unexplained drones appeared in the skies over New Jersey, capturing the attention of residents and raising concerns among officials. These weren’t hobbyist drones buzzing innocuously through the air—witnesses reported seeing larger, more sophisticated devices operating in what appeared to be a coordinated manner. And now, just as suddenly as they appeared, the drones have vanished.
What hasn’t disappeared, however, are the questions about their origin and purpose. Neither state nor federal agencies have provided any concrete explanations, leaving residents to wonder: What exactly was going on?
The Drone Sightings
Reports of the mysterious drones came from various parts of New Jersey, often in less populated areas or near infrastructure such as power plants or highways. Witnesses described their size as larger than consumer drones and noted their unusual flight patterns, suggesting they weren’t being operated by hobbyists.
The sightings followed a pattern seen in other parts of the country in recent years, where swarms of drones were spotted moving in grids or formations, raising suspicions that they were part of military exercises or private sector testing. However, no entity—public or private—has stepped forward to claim responsibility for the New Jersey drones.
A Silent Government Response
Requests for information from agencies such as the FAA, Department of Defense, and Department of Homeland Security have yielded little insight. The FAA, which oversees the airspace in which the drones were seen, offered general statements about drone regulations but declined to address the specific incidents.
State officials have expressed similar frustration, with some local law enforcement agencies stating they lack the resources to track and identify drones of this size and sophistication. This lack of transparency from higher levels of government has only deepened public unease.
The federal government’s silence may stem from national security concerns, as disclosing certain operations could compromise their effectiveness. However, this explanation offers little comfort to those who feel the public has a right to know whether potentially invasive or hazardous activity was taking place in their communities.
While some leaders such as U.S. Senator Cory Booker, U.S. Congressmen Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew raised the red flag on these drones, Governor Phil Murphy and the Administration of President Joe Biden have dismissed any concerns to public safety and national security.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy went as far as telling New Jersey to “calm down” over the drone hysteria.
Like other sightings around the world, they just stopped. Perhaps it was a surveillance operation, and the foreign agent or dark business entity already had all the data they needed.
Why Did the Drones Disappear?
One of the most puzzling aspects of this mystery is the sudden disappearance of the drones. If the drones were part of a sanctioned operation, it’s possible the activity was limited to a brief trial period. Alternatively, increased public attention may have led whoever was behind the operation to relocate or pause the activity.
A more concerning possibility is that the drones were operating without authorization. If this were the case, their disappearance could signal an attempt to avoid further detection as officials ramped up their inquiries.
What Comes Next?
For now, New Jerseyans are left without answers. Are the skies truly clear, or will the drones return? If they were part of a government program, will officials eventually provide details, or is this destined to remain an unresolved mystery?
More broadly, these sightings raise critical questions about the monitoring and regulation of drones, especially as their use becomes increasingly sophisticated. Whether they were conducting surveillance, mapping, or tests, understanding who is operating drones in our skies—and for what purpose—should be a priority for regulators.
Until clearer answers emerge, this mystery serves as a stark reminder of the challenges posed by emerging technologies in an era of limited transparency. The disappearance of the drones may have ended the sightings, but for many, the concerns they raised are far from resolved.