The Pentagon has refuted a congressman’s extraordinary assertions about the source of the mysterious drones observed in New Jersey.
Numerous drone sightings have occurred along the East Coast in recent weeks, sparking curiosity about the drones’ purpose and origin.
Amidst the public’s curiosity, New Jersey Representative Jeff Van Drew attempted to provide an explanation, claiming his information came from ‘reliable sources’.
He shared what he called the ‘real deal’ with Fox News: “I’m on the Transportation Committee, on the Aviation Subcommittee, and I’ve gotten to know people. And from very high sources, very qualified sources, very responsible sources.”
Van Drew further stated: “I’m going to tell you… Iran launched a mothership probably about a month ago that contains these drones. That mothership is off the east coast of the United States of America.”
He also suggested that the drones ‘should be shot down’.
“We are not getting the full deal and the military is on alert with this,” he added.
However, the Pentagon has now dismissed the notion that a ‘mothership’ is connected to these mysterious drones.
During a briefing on Wednesday (December 11), Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh stated that there is ‘no evidence these are coming from a foreign entity or the work of an adversary’.
“We’re going to continue to monitor what is happening. But, you know, at no point were our installations threatened when this activity was occurring.” she emphasized.
Directly addressing Van Drew’s claims, Singh noted there is ‘no truth’ to his allegations.
“There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and there’s no so-called mothership launching drones towards the United States.” she elaborated.
According to Reuters, the FBI and New Jersey State police have urged the public to share any information on the potential sightings, stating: “Witnesses have spotted the cluster of what look to be drones and a possible fixed-wing aircraft.
“We have reports from the public and law enforcement dating back several weeks.”
The Pentagon’s preliminary assessment also indicated that these ‘drones’ are not foreign and were not intercepted by the US military as they posed no threat.
This statement follows the sightings of mysterious drones near three British airbases—RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, and RAF Feltwell—all used by the United States Air Force (USAF).
Back in November, when the reports emerged, the USAF was uncertain about the drones’ intentions, as reported by BBC News.
A spokesperson for the USAF in Europe commented: “We can confirm that small unmanned aerial systems [UASs] were spotted in the vicinity of and over RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall and RAF Feltwell.
“The number of UASs fluctuated and they ranged in size/configuration. The UASs were actively monitored and installation leaders determined that none of the incursions impacted base residents or critical infrastructure.
“To protect operational security, we do not discuss our specific force protection measures but retain the right to protect the installation.”
They further mentioned their intent to ‘continue to monitor our airspace’ and their collaboration with host-national authorities and mission partners to ensure the safety of those at the base and its assets.