Pentagon Refutes Iran 'Mothership' Claim Amid New Jersey Drone Mystery

Pentagon Refutes Iran 'Mothership' Claim Amid New Jersey Drone Mystery.

The Department of Homeland Security stated that it is still uncertain who is in control of the drones.

The Pentagon has refuted a congressman's assertion that an Iranian "mothership" is responsible for the large drones observed over New Jersey in recent weeks. Meanwhile, state officials are calling for a more robust federal response and greater transparency regarding the enigmatic sightings.

Since mid-November, large drones of unknown origin have been frequently seen in the night sky over central and northern New Jersey, including areas near a military facility.

On Wednesday morning, state and local officials held a private meeting at the New Jersey State Police headquarters with representatives from the Department of Homeland Security to discuss the issue, as reported by several attendees.

The identity of the individuals operating the drones remains uncertain, as stated in a handout from the Department of Homeland Security, which was shared by Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali during the meeting he attended: "At this time, according to the FBI, there are no known specific or credible threats related to these sightings," the handout stated.

Reports indicate that the number of sightings per night has varied between four and 180, as stated by New Jersey Assemblywoman Dawn Fantasia, who was present at the meeting. The drones "operate in a coordinated manner" and have not been identified as hobbyist drones or ones related to DHS, she said.

Several officials stated after the meeting that they remained unconvinced by the response from the Department of Homeland Security.

Ghassali remarked that it has only "heightened my apprehensions regarding the federal government's approach to this critical issue."

"The message conveyed was that there is no credible threat, yet they are flying over critical infrastructure, and their point of origin and destination remain unidentified," he said in a statement. "They will eventually find out but for now, we don't know anything else."

New Jersey state Senator Holly Schepisi characterized the response from the Department of Homeland Security as "abysmal."

"[It] actually made me feel less confident in our federal government's reaction to this issue rather than more," she said in a statement. "For the federal government to not dedicate every defense resource needed to identify the origin and purpose of these drones in the most densely populated state in the nation is inexplicable and completely unacceptable."

Fantasia said "we know nothing" and to "state that there is no known or credible threat is incredibly misleading, and I informed all officials of that sentiment."

After the meeting, New Jersey state Senator Jon Bramnick called on the Department of Defense to conduct an investigation and reaffirmed his request for a limited state of emergency in the state.

"The Department of Defense must investigate and until that occurs we must shut down the airspace to drones. That would require a limited state of emergency and FAA cooperation," he said in a statement.

A representative from the FBI, the primary agency conducting the investigation into the sightings, stated that it is "doing all we can [to] figure out what's going on."

"The public can continue to call our 800 line, or submit a tip online, we are acting on every substantive lead that we get," the FBI spokesperson said.

The Federal Aviation Administration has established flight restrictions above Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County and Trump National Golf Club Bedminster in Somerset County due to the presence of drone activity.

"Safely integrating drones into the National Airspace System is a key priority for the FAA," the agency said in a statement earlier this month. "We look into all reports of unauthorized drone operations and investigate when appropriate."

New Jersey Representative Jeff Van Drew expressed his disapproval of the Federal Aviation Administration's failure to track the drones during a hearing of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held earlier on Wednesday.

"We have a serious problem with our aerospace. The recent sightings of unidentified drones in the state of New Jersey, my home state, is justifiably causing tremendous public concern," he said.

Up Close Image Of The Drone

Van Drew characterized the drones as "large" and "sophisticated," asserting that an "Iranian mothership" is accountable for their operation; however, he failed to present any evidence to substantiate his assertions.

"I've learned, for real, that there is circumstantial evidence that there's an Iranian mothership off the East Coast of the United States, and that's launching these drone incursions," he said.

He expressed that he is currently focused on identifying his sources, although he indicated that they are "individuals who are reputable, individuals who speak with authority."

The Pentagon refuted Van Drew's claim.

"There is not any truth to that -- there is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and there's no so-called mothership launching drones towards the United States," deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters Wednesday.

Singh stated that there is no indication that the drone activity originates from any foreign entity or is the result of an adversarial action.

"We're going to continue to monitor what is happening," she said, adding, "At no point were our installations threatened when this activity was occurring."

Van Drew reaffirmed his stance during an interview after the Pentagon's briefing, asserting that there exists a " real possibility that it is a foreign entity." He indicated that his " well-placed " sources suggest the drones may be of Iranian origin, and he posited the potential presence of a mothership located hundreds of miles from the U.S. coastline.

"They say to us there's nothing to fear, but we have no idea who it is, where it comes from, what it's about and what it can do," he said.

Van Drew suggested that flight restrictions be placed over the New Jersey airspace "and an order be given to neutralize any drone aircraft in violation of those restrictions" in a letter addressed to President Joe Biden on Wednesday.

“In neutralizing these drones we must ensure the safety of people on ground and should also attempt to keep the drones intact so that we may study their capabilities," he wrote.

New Jersey Representative Chris Smith has urged Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to assist in identifying and addressing the extensive drone activity occurring throughout the state.

"As you no doubt are also aware, there have been numerous instances of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) flying over New Jersey, including in close proximity to sensitive sites and critical infrastructure, to include military installations located in my district," he stated in a letter to Lloyd on Tuesday.

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Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL) has the ability to detect and neutralize unauthorized unmanned aerial systems.

"I urgently request all capabilities possessed by the Department of Defense, especially those in use by JBMDL to be immediately deployed to identify and address the potential threats posed by UAS over the state of New Jersey," he said.

During a congressional hearing on Tuesday, Smith reported that an officer observed "50 drones" approaching from the ocean earlier this week in Ocean County. He also mentioned that a commanding officer from the U.S. Coast Guard, stationed in Barnegat Light, indicated that "between 12 and 30" drones were tracking a USCG motor lifeboat over the weekend.

New Jersey Senator Cory Booker has urged federal authorities to provide more transparency regarding the unidentified drone activity in a letter addressed to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Tuesday.

"I recognize the need to maintain operational security of ongoing investigations and that this situation requires complex interagency coordination. However, there is a growing sense of uncertainty and urgency across the state -- from constituents and local officials alike -- despite assurances that the drones pose no known threats to public safety," he stated in the letter. "As such, I urge you to share any relevant information about these drone sightings with the public. Without transparency, I believe that rumors, fear, and misinformation will continue to spread."

The public should be "immediately briefed" by federal agencies, including the FBI, FAA and DHS, on what they know, New Jersey Rep. Josh Gottheimer said.

"I think people have a right to know what's going on,"

Gottheimer, a representative on the House Intelligence Committee, stated that he does not perceive any immediate threats to security in New Jersey or Washington, D.C., according to the briefings he has received.

"That said, you can't just fly drones anywhere," he said. "This can't just be game on. We need to know who these drones belong to, where they're coming from. And if they're not welcome, we've got to take them out."

Law enforcement officials in Warren County, New Jersey, have voiced their dissatisfaction regarding the insufficient transparency surrounding the operations of drones.

"We are shocked by the lack of response or update from Federal and State officials," Chief Scott D. Robb, president of the Warren County Police Chief's Association, said in a statement Wednesday. "We do not agree with their response that there is no known threat to the public at this time. It is our stance that just the unidentified drone flying over us is a threat in itself."

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) indicated in its report regarding the drones in New Jersey that similar drone sightings have occurred both domestically and internationally.

According to the White House on Tuesday, President Biden has been informed about the drone situation and is actively monitoring the developments while working in close coordination with DHS and the FBI to further investigate these occurrences.

"This is something that DHS and FBI are tracking very, very closely," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday.

The U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) is also monitoring reports of "unauthorized drone flights in the vicinity of military installations in New Jersey," a spokesperson said.

"Local law enforcement and the FBI are currently investigating," the spokesperson said in a statement on Wednesday, adding that at this time NORTHCOM has not been requested to assist with the events but is prepared to respond "when asked or should the situation escalate to threaten any DoD installations."

The ongoing drone sightings over New Jersey have sparked serious concerns, primarily due to the lack of transparency and clarity from federal and state authorities. Despite claims that there is no known threat, the presence of these large, sophisticated drones flying over sensitive infrastructure is deeply unsettling.

Local officials and lawmakers have expressed dissatisfaction with the federal government's response, emphasizing the potential risks posed by unidentified drones. The continued uncertainty surrounding their origin and purpose, combined with the apparent lack of urgency in addressing the situation, only heightens fears of a possible security breach or covert operation.

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