Drone Panic in the United States: Aliens or Chinese Enemy?

There is no American who has not heard about the new phenomenon that has crossed borders, states and even military bases in the United States. The theories involve everything from a malicious Chinese or Iranian program to space aliens preparing to take over the world. The authorities are trying to calm the public while Donald Trump is stirring people up against the administration, claiming it is hiding things. Americans are demanding answers, but it is unclear if anyone can respond. A survey of the phenomenon of mystery drones by Kikar magazine.

It Began in Mid-November

Residents along the East Coast of the United States reported seeing mystery drones in the sky. The reports came from New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Ohio, and raised concern among the public and authorities. All of us have seen flickering lights in the sky. Sometimes this is a sport drone; sometimes it’s a plane; and sometimes it is simply a star. However, in the case of the United States, this is a very different occurrence.

In New Jersey, drones were observed over military installations such as Picatinny Arsenal and Naval Weapons Station Earle, and also President-elect Donald Trump's golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey.

On Nov. 26, a medical evacuation helicopter was delayed following reports of drones in the area and on Dec. 13, Stewart International Airport in New York was closed for an hour because of drone activity.

The reports describe drones the size of all-terrain vehicles with flickering lights that hover over military bases, homes, central locations and even Trump’s golf course. The event raised speculation, hypotheses and various conspiracy theories. Whether foreign attack by sworn enemies such as Iran and China or repeated visits by aliens — the American imagination flowered and the explanations in social media only added to it.

It is not unlikely that after an isolated event or two of innocent drone activity in the skies of the United States made waves in the news, some bored individuals exploited the situation and themselves immediately launched a drone they could buy from AliExpress, creating a snowball effect.

All the same, Americans are really concerned, and even the federal government understands that the time has come to deal with these unusual events.

White House spokesman John Kirby explained that the sightings were a combination of commercial and hobbyist drones and unmanned aerial vehicles and, at times, even stars that appeared as drones. “No threats against national security or public safety risk were identified,” Adm. Kirby said.

However, members of Congress including Michael McCaul expressed concern that the drones could be a Chinese espionage tool, particularly given sightings over military locations. Everyone remembers the story of the Chinese balloon that was proven to be a spy balloon and was finally brought down by the U.S. Air Force.

Accordingly, anyone who watches the multiple American videos would believe that these unidentified flying objects are not similar to any drone or plane.

As we reported this week, White House national security advisor nominee Mike Waltz attacked the current administration, saying that the American public is frustrated with the lack of clarity. “The issue of drones is pointing to gaps between agencies — between the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security, and local law enforcement agencies,” Waltz told “Face the Nation” on CBS. He called [on the government] to quickly build an “Iron Dome” system to defend the American people from the threat.

The Pentagon and the FBI have stated there is no threat to the public but have not provided any details. The lack of information has led to conspiracy theories and demands by lawmakers such as Sen. Chuck Schumer for updates and requests to provide local authorities with the tools to deal with drone-related incidents.

For many, the panic surrounding the drones reflects the growing concern over new technologies such as drones and artificial intelligence.

With more than 1 million drones registered in the United States being used for a variety of purposes from recreation to commercial use, the American skies have become much more crowded. The current situation has caused many to support increasing regulation of drone sales given concrete fears that these devices could cause fatal collisions with small aircraft, planes and helicopters.

While authorities continue to investigate the sightings, authorities have recently begun taking the incidents seriously. The public is being asked to report any suspicious activity, but, at the same time, to avoid drawing hasty conclusions. President-elect Trump also addressed the issue on his social network, Truth Social, and, in his own way, has taken the situation a step further. “Mystery drones are being seen throughout the country. Can this really happen without the knowledge of our administration? I don’t think so! The public needs to know, and now. Otherwise — shoot them down!!!”

Thus, Trump signaled that the Democratic administration possibly knows something about the mystery drones that it is choosing to hide this from the public, something that adds further fuel to the conspiracy bonfire.

New Jersey Rep. Jeff Van Drew claimed that the mystery drones could be from an Iranian mother ship anchored off the East Coast of the United States. “There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States,” said Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh, and added that the claims are baseless.

Junior Democratic New Jersey Sen. Andy Kim released videos of what appear to be a group of drones, but afterward corrected himself, saying that what he initially thought were drones almost certainly were airplanes.

With the rise in the number of remotely piloted devices, the demand to regulate and impose tighter control over the use of drones is increasing, particularly in sensitive areas such as military installations or airfields.

In addition, a major concern has been raised about the possible use of drones for industrial or military espionage. Security experts warn that hostile elements could exploit this technological capability to gather information or to test new attack systems. Republican Sen. Tom Cotton said, “Although there is still not absolute proof, we must not negate the possibility that countries such as China or Iran are involved here. This is not the time to take the foot off the gas.”*

However, the police in New Jersey and Pennsylvania have started using detection and shoot-down systems against drones in cooperation with the FBI. A Pennsylvania police official said that “while the majority of sightings are apparently hobbyists, there is a need for cooperation between security authorities to ensure that we understand all possible threats.”*

Public reaction is mixed. Some residents see the drone incidents as a stimulus for the imagination and some genuinely fear for their privacy and security. Rachel Stone, a New Jersesy resident, said, “Every night I see strange flickering lights over my house. I don’t know if this is only a kid with a toy or something serious. This is beginning to be scary.”*

Authorities are expected to release additional updates on the investigation in the coming weeks. However, lawmakers are pushing to increase enforcement of laws regarding the use of drones and to enact clear rules to prevent the unauthorized infiltration of drones into strategic areas.

Many are emphasizing that a solution must include a balance between technological advantages and the need to safeguard public and state security, particularly at a time when so many fronts are active globally and the threats to U.S. national security are growing day-to-day from many enemies.


*Editor’s Note: These quotes, accurately translated, could not be independently verified.