White House National Security Spokesperson John Kirby said today that many of the alleged drones seen over New Jersey are in fact lawful manned aircraft.
“At this time, we have no evidence that the reported drones pose a threat to national or public security or have a foreign connection,” Kirby told reporters at the daily White House press briefing.
He said the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI are investigating these allegations, and are working closely with local communities to ensure all resources are available for the investigation.
“Using highly sophisticated electronic detection technologies provided by federal authorities, we have been unable to confirm any of the reported visual sightings. On the contrary, after reviewing the available imagery, it appears that many of the reported sightings are in fact manned aircraft operated in accordance with the law.” “The United States Coast Guard is providing support to the State of New Jersey,” Kirby said.
The spokesman then confirmed that there was no evidence of foreign vessel involvement, nor were there any reported or confirmed sightings of drones in any restricted airspace.