Disclosed

New Jersey drone wave

Date
18 Nov 2024
Place
Morris County and across New Jersey, with reports in New York and neighbouring states, United States
Record
Curated case
Assessment
Explained
Evidence strength
467 case pages by decade; this one falls in 2020s with 169 othersAll cases

What was reported

From mid-November 2024, thousands of residents and many police officers reported large drones or lights at night, including near Picatinny Arsenal and the President-elect's Bedminster club; the FAA issued temporary flight restrictions and the FBI opened an inquiry. A joint DHS, FBI, FAA and DoD statement of 17 December said review of more than 5,000 reports found nothing anomalous and no security threat, and that sightings were lawful drones, manned aircraft and stars; in January 2025 the White House said the drones had been authorised by the FAA for research and other purposes. A later public-records release of about 13,000 police documents is cited by researchers who argue that some activity over sensitive sites was never accounted for. A private sensor network deployed during the wave reported most objects conventional and a few unexplained.

What officials concluded

Resolved

DHS, FBI, FAA and DoD (17 December 2024): lawful drones, manned aircraft and stars; nothing anomalous

Strongest ordinary reading

Authorised and hobby drones, aircraft and stars, amplified by public alarm

Evidence profile

Sensors3 of 9
  • Yes: Visual
  • No: Infrared
  • No: Radar
  • Yes: Video
  • Yes: Photo
  • No: Film
  • No: Audio
  • No: Night vision
  • No: Other sensor
Witnessescount not stated
  • Yes: Civilian
  • No: Military aircrew
  • No: Military ground
  • No: Airline crew
  • No: Sensor operator
  • Yes: Law enforcement
  • No: Scientist
  • No: Astronaut
  • No: Intelligence official
  • No: Other
ShapeLight only
  • Yes: Light only
  • No: Orb or sphere
  • No: Disc
  • No: Triangle
  • No: Cylinder
  • No: Cube
  • No: Other shape
Effectsnone reported
  • No: Physiological
  • No: Physical trace
  • No: Electromagnetic
  • No: Sound
  • No: Silent

Videos that discuss it

2

Claims and verdicts

2
  • Unverified2:43:47Garry NolanSecondhand

    During the late-2024 New Jersey/East Coast 'drone' sightings, Skywatcher deployed sensors and found the large majority of observed drones were conventional/hobbyist, but some objects moved anomalously; some drones reportedly entered from and returned to the ocean, trailing US Coast Guard boats for miles.

    when you have drones coming in from the ocean... and then returning to the ocean... and trailing Coast Guard boats for miles that's not hobbyist drones

    Said in Garry Nolan: Aliens | The Case They're Already Here

  • Unverified2:07:47Leslie KeanSecondhand

    Regarding 2024-25 mystery drone sightings (New Jersey, the Midwest, Denmark/Scandinavia), none of Kean's insider sources believe they represent alien spacecraft, but they also do not rule out that some UAP could be 'mixed in' with mundane drone activity; the phenomenon remains officially unexplained.

    None of the insiders have told me that they believe that they're UAP... but they don't know either. They're not ruling that out.

    Said in The Reality of UFOs UAP with Leslie Kean

Outside sources

On the map

40.86° N, 74.55° W, plotted at the centre of the region named in the record

Show on the map