Drones in New Jersey: U.S. Government dispels conspiracy theories
The U.S. National Security Council spokesperson, John Kirby, assured on Monday that the observed drone activity in New Jersey and surrounding areas involves legal hobbyist, commercial, and police drones. He addressed accusations of authorities hiding knowledge about "mysterious" drones.
During the briefing, John Kirby emphasised that, according to assessments by American services, the observed drones include commercial, hobbyist, and police drones as well as civilian aircraft.
This assessment comes from law enforcement representatives after "having closely examined the data, having closely looked at the tips and collated them the best we can from concerned citizens," noted the spokesman.
Kirby's statement marked the first official response from U.S. authorities to a series of drone observations in New Jersey and neighbouring states in recent weeks. Reports of "mysterious" unmanned aerial vehicles began on 18 November when drones were spotted over military installations. In the subsequent weeks, increased observations caused concern among residents, internet users, and politicians from both parties.
The spokesman explained that the service's assessment is based on an in-depth analysis of more than 5,000 reports, of which fewer than 100 were deemed worth further investigation. He also admitted that drones were observed near military bases in several cases but emphasised that this phenomenon is not new.
Kirby noted that in the United States, there are over a million registered private unmanned aerial vehicles, and thousands of commercial, hobbyist, and police drones are in the air every day.
The current commotion results from the fact that initial reports triggered an avalanche of interest, causing more people to start looking up at the sky, speculated the spokesman.
Further U.S. aid for Ukraine
During the briefing, he also addressed the issue of delivering American ATACMS missiles to Ukraine. He explained that the decision was made before the elections and responded to developments on the front.
Following the elections, he explained that discussions were conducted with the incoming team to address various national security matters, including the war in Ukraine, providing clarity on the actions being taken, the messages being conveyed, and the reasons behind them.
Kirby emphasised that as long as the current administration is in power, the principle of "nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine" applies. Referring to suggestions that Ukraine should "make a deal" with Russia and give up part of its territory, he stressed that the United States supports Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.
