In late November, a large number of unidentified unmanned aerial vehicles suddenly appeared in the skies near New Jersey and New York City in the eastern United States, causing great concern among Americans. Not only did many American citizens witness and report these events, but local governments also raised numerous questions. The US Department of Defense, the White House, and even President-elect Trump expressed their concern and opinions on the matter, but as of now, there is no final conclusion. Are these mysterious drones UFOs, or are they being released by humans?
Independent TV producer Li Jun stated on the New Tang Dynasty TV program “Elite Forum” that the appearance of mysterious drones in the United States has sparked significant attention and controversy, with the government saying everything is normal while the public finds it highly abnormal.
Li Jun explained that these drones first appeared in late November in central and northern New Jersey airspace, including near a Trump golf club and a military base, where fixed-wing aircraft were spotted flying. In the following weeks, the number of witnesses reporting these events continued to increase, coming from seven states including New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and Ohio.
The drones that appeared this time had two characteristics: they were relatively large, some as big as SUVs or trucks, and they were numerous, suddenly appearing in large quantities, causing panic.
Virginia resident John Nite discovered an aircraft near the beach, which he said looked different from any other aircraft he had seen before. The aircraft slowly flew over the Virginia National Guard facility above the sea, which was absolutely abnormal. The drone was the size of a small truck, flew like a helicopter, but made no noise. Nite also captured video footage. In Massachusetts, a resident saw 10 to 15 drones hovering over a residence in Chatham-Harwich one evening. She informed the authorities that she observed the objects for over an hour, noting that they were very bright.
New Jersey Governor Murphy stated that on December 8 alone, there were 49 reports of drone sightings. He wrote a letter to Biden, requesting answers. New Jersey Assemblyman Vantasia said that since November 18, the number of drones reported by the public has increased from 4 per day to as many as 180 per day, ranging from dusk to 11 pm.
Li Jun mentioned that White House spokesperson Kobi explained that with over 1 million drones registered in the US, it is normal for thousands of them to be flying in the sky every day. The Pentagon responded, stating that these drones are definitely not from other countries, nor are they US military drones. On December 15, US Secretary of Homeland Security Mayocas stated, “I want to assure the American public that we are addressing this matter.”
Political commentator Horimoto in the “Elite Forum” stated that currently, the federal government denies the occurrence of the event while local governments and the public demand the truth. A legislator and the governor of New Jersey wrote to Biden, hoping that the Federal Aviation Administration would authorize state-level governments to take down the drones to understand what is happening. Therefore, local governments do not trust the federal government’s statements.
Horimoto mentioned that there are some interesting clues, which can be considered semi-official information. A drone interfered with an airport in New Jersey and a military base in Ohio, leading to their forced closure. This is not a joke. While the public witnessed the occurrences, the closure of military bases implies that they were actually detected but their origin remains unknown. If American aircraft were flying over, the military base would have been notified; if not, they could be taken down.
Furthermore, at a naval shipyard in New Jersey, a broadcaster used his own drone to track these unidentified drones. As a result, the naval shipyard detected them, initiated interference, forced the broadcaster’s drone to land, but the tracked drones did not descend, indicating they were not affected. This scenario is peculiar, and military units have become involved.
Horimoto stated that in New Jersey, the police of a city deployed their own drone to track the unidentified drones, using a thermal tracking system. Any object with an engine running will generate heat, making it trackable. However, the drones they tracked emitted no heat. The police said, “We cannot track them because they do not emit heat.” This raises significant doubts. These pieces of information are official reports from local governments.
However, until now, apart from the lack of heat emissions, there is no reliable evidence proving that they are extraterrestrial spacecraft. The possibility of the US government developing aircraft that do not emit heat and cannot be detected by thermal sensors is still considerable.
Horimoto expressed personal belief in a statement made by Trump, saying that the military knows, Biden knows, they just don’t say it, so they should be made to speak up. The question lies in the fact that Trump, as a President-elect, should have access to the highest level of intelligence briefings during the transition process, but he may not disclose information to the public since he is not the incumbent President. Thus, many suspect whether Trump has seen some internal reports but cannot disclose them. Consequently, the mystery deepens.
Horimoto concluded by saying that overall, he leans towards the belief that the aircraft, similar to what the US government can announce, is likely from domestic sources, with the likelihood of foreign origins being very low. In the beginning, a congressman suggested that Iran dispatched a mothership outside the US to release drones into the country. However, reports indicate Iran did not have any military vessels off US shores. If foreign ships were to release drones into US airspace, they would not have traveled far without being intercepted by the US Coast Guard or missile defense systems, making this scenario highly unlikely. So apart from these possibilities, it seems more plausible that the issue is related to domestic politics and the government.
Li Jun in the “Elite Forum” elaborated that according to the Pentagon, the drones are not the work of foreign hostile forces or the US military, leaving only two possibilities: they are the work of some mysterious underground organization in the US with government cooperation, or they are of extraterrestrial origin. Trump often uses terms like “strange things are happening” when referring to aliens. In this instance, he mentioned strange incidents known by the government but not disclosed for certain reasons. His choice of words has become synonymous with describing extraterrestrial encounters.
Veteran media figure Guo Jun in the “Elite Forum” posited that the notion of the drones being released by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) seems unlikely due to the high political risks involved. Even with the current Biden administration’s leniency towards the CCP, such incursions of low-altitude drones into US airspace would spark massive political turmoil once discovered. Under pressure, the US military might have to detain or even sink the vessels launching the drones, resulting in a major crisis that would be hard to contain.
Guo Jun expressed skepticism about the CCP’s ability to control such drones through its Beidou system, citing past tests in Tibet and Xinjiang that were deemed unsuccessful due to the system’s limited accuracy and susceptibility to interference. With Trump about to take office soon, future US policies towards China are expected to become increasingly stringent. The CCP’s top priority for its diplomatic and intelligence departments is to establish contact with Trump and his team at all costs to gauge future US-China relations. Provocations like sending drones into US airspace, especially into critical areas, seem illogical given the circumstances.
Guo Jun emphasized that the incident underscores a crucial point for the US – drones could pose new, unprecedented dangers in the future. Similar to the 9/11 attacks twenty years ago, where terrorists hijacked large aircraft to target buildings, the use of small drones coupled with explosives against key targets today could yield similarly devastating results.
The future of drone technology is not limited to military applications but could have significant implications for national security. The shift in warfare mindset indicates that many advanced technologies originated in the military sector and later expanded into civilian uses, causing profound societal changes. While drones were initially developed by the military, the prevalent use of small, low-altitude drones today is mostly by civilian companies. Nevertheless, these drones have played substantial roles in the Ukrainian conflict, a factor that was not initially perceived.
Guo Jun hypothesized that terrorist attacks might not require substantial resources; rather, small-scale bombings targeting critical sites like nuclear power plants could result in significant harm. Enhanced defense measures against aerial threats are vital as modern defenses primarily focus on ground penetration, whereas drones operate in the 3D space, necessitating comprehensive anti-drone weaponry and systems, which would mark a significant shift and entail substantial engineering efforts.
Therefore, the attention drawn to this incident across the US may be beneficial in urging various governmental bodies and critical sectors to heighten their vigilance. As the era of drones unfolds, serious considerations about future security measures leading to potentially significant changes become imperative.
The television program “Elite Forum,” launched by New Tang Dynasty and Epoch Times, presents a high-end TV forum based on the Chinese community worldwide, which gathers global elites to focus on hot topics, analyze major trends, and provide in-depth insights into social issues and historical truths for viewers.
For the full content of this “Elite Forum” episode, please watch online.
“Elite Forum” Production Team
Reproduction and quotation of articles from “Elite Forum” must maintain the original content and cite the source.