Reports of mysterious drone sightings across New Jersey and New York have grown in recent weeks, leading to a temporary drone ban being implemented by the US Federal Aviation Administration over the Army's Picatinny Arsenal in Wharton and a Bedminster golf course owned by President-elect Donald Trump.
Despite the lack of evidence connecting the drone sightings or suggesting anything unusual, vague and noncommittal statements from state and federal authorities have fuelled public intrigue.
Late last week, a joint FBI and Department of Homeland Security statement emphasised that ongoing state and federal investigations have revealed no foreign involvement or threat at all.
Furthermore, the FBI and DHS added that none of the sightings have been verified to have been drones at all.
Multiple federal agencies have been collaborating with New Jersey State Police on the investigation.
The FBI and DHS noted in their statement that, “while there is no known malicious activity occurring in New Jersey, the reported sightings there do, however, highlight the insufficiency of current authorities,”
Security specialists state that there is no evidence of a threat.
Reports of drone sightings are difficult to conduct, especially given the different levels of law enforcement and aviation authorities involved.
In Dec 2018, repeated drone sightings at Gatwick Airport resulted in over 1,000 flight cancellations, chaos, more than $63m of lost revenue for airlines, and nearly $1.3m for the investigation costs.
Officials have been countering theories about aliens and Iranian spy drones, though funding is also a significant factor in the speed with which investigations can be carried out.