An official with Naval Weapons Station Earle in Monmouth County, New Jersey, confirmed Friday that "unidentified drones" flew into its airspace "multiple" times but added that there were "no direct threats" to the installation.
It's the latest among thousands of sightings of drones in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania that has the region on edge, all while the White House said none of the reports could be corroborated.
"While no direct threats to the installation have been identified, we can confirm multiple instances of unidentified drones entering the airspace above Naval Weapons Station Earle," Bill Addison, public affairs officer for the station located in Colts Neck, said in a statement to ABC News. "The base remains prepared to respond to any potential risks, leveraging robust security measures and advanced detection capabilities."
Addison did not say when the sightings took place.
Democrat senators from New York and New Jersey, including outgoing Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., sent a letter to three federal agencies this week demanding answers and a hearing regarding the mystery drone activity.
"We write with urgent concern regarding the unmanned aerial system (UAS) activity that has affected communities across New York and New Jersey in recent days," the Democrats said in a letter dated Wednesday to the FBI, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Department of Homeland Security.
White House National Security Communications adviser John Kirby on Thursday said, "We have not been able to, and neither have state and local law enforcement authorities, been able to corroborate any of the reported visual sightings" despite the more than 3,000 tips that the FBI said it has received.
"Many of the reports of sightings are actually manned aircraft that are being operated lawfully," Kirby added.
That doesn't hold water for Sen.-elect Andy Kim, D-N.J., who saw the drones himself on Thursday.
"It's hard for people to feel secure when there are unexplained drones flying overhead and they're not getting answers they need from the federal investigation," Kim told reporters. "This has been going on for weeks, and I'm just as frustrated as everyone else in not getting more information and details. That's why I came out to see for myself, and I'm grateful for local police for taking me around."
For its part, the Pentagon said Wednesday that "[o]ur initial assessment is that this is not the work of a foreign adversary or a foreign entity."
The FAA has issued a temporary flight restriction prohibiting drone flights over Picatinny Arsenal Military Base in Morris County, New Jersey, through Dec. 26. The FAA had issued a similar restriction over Trump National Golf Club Bedminster that ended Dec. 6.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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