In recent days, the surveillance has led to the temporary closure of Stewart International Airport in New York and Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.
State authorities previously said they “did not find anything abnormal.” They agreed with Biden that many of the drones that have been sighted have been operated legally by hobbyists and law enforcement – adding that people have also spotted “manned aircraft, helicopters and stars mistakenly labeled as drones”.
But the public’s questions remain. Earlier this week, New Jersey resident Noel Thomas told the BBC about how he spotted a mysterious object in the sky. He said it was the size of a school bus, rectangular with flashing lights, and “exactly something I’ve never seen.”
A police officer in the same state said: “We’re just looking for some reasonable, reasonable responses so that people can live their lives instead of living in this hysteria that we have.”
As the mystery persists, state governments are demanding more powers to crack down on small unmanned aircraft seen in the skies. Earlier this week, New York Gov. Cathy Hochul said officials were sending her a drone detection system.
Among those who expressed suspicions was President-elect Donald Trump, who said the government “knows what’s going on” but “for some reason doesn’t want to comment.” However, he said he “can’t imagine it’s the enemy.”
The Pentagon previously denied a suggestion by a New Jersey lawmaker that the possible drones came from an Iranian “mother ship,” while an FBI spokesman said there may have been “a bit of an overreaction” to the issue.
