2024 U.S. Drone Sightings Wave — New Jersey & East Coast

Beginning in approximately mid-November 2024, a wave of unidentified drone sightings swept across New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and other northeastern U.S. states. The reports — numbering in the thousands from civilian witnesses, law enforcement, and local government officials — described large drones, some reportedly 6-10 feet in wingspan, flying at night in restricted and sensitive areas including near airports, military installations, and water treatment facilities. The sightings drew attention at the highest levels of the U.S. government. President Biden was briefed by the National Security Council. Multiple members of Congress called for emergency hearings and demanded explanations from the Department of Defense and the intelligence community. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy held public press conferences, and mayors across the region reported being unable to get clear answers from federal authorities. The FAA imposed temporary flight restrictions over sensitive areas. The Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and the Pentagon all confirmed active investigations. Officials publicly stated they could not identify the operators or origin of the drones — acknowledging what amounted to sustained, large-scale penetration of U.S. domestic airspace by unidentified aerial vehicles for which no attribution had been established. Parallel incidents were reported at U.S. military installations in the United Kingdom in the same timeframe. Various official explanations were floated — commercial drones misidentified, hobby operators, foreign adversary reconnaissance — but as of early 2025, no definitive attribution had been confirmed publicly. The DHS and FBI indicated the investigation was continuing under classified protocols.