Earlier this month, a U.S. Coast Guard vessel was trailed by numerous drones while patrolling the Atlantic Ocean.
This episode has led to a clash between Coast Guardsmen and federal officials who dismiss their accounts, New York Post reported.
The U.S. Coast Guard reported that a fleet of drones followed their 47-foot vessel during a routine mission near Barnegat Light, New Jersey. The number of drones ranged from 12 to 30. This incident occurred amid heightened drone activity in the area, prompting the Federal Aviation Administration to impose temporary flight restrictions over parts of New Jersey and New York just days earlier.
The drones appeared around 9 p.m., exhibiting sophisticated flight patterns and flashing festive lights. They maintained an altitude of 80 to 100 feet, mirroring the Coast Guard’s movements for approximately 15 minutes before heading toward the shoreline.
The coast guardsmen were not merely passive observers; their mission that night was specifically to locate drones following numerous sightings reported above New Jersey since November 18. Over 1,000 drones have been sighted in recent weeks.
One sailor described the encounter, emphasizing the drones’ advanced capabilities. “We were actually out there to see if we could spot any drones, because of all these sightings,” he said. “Well, we found some drones. Or more accurately, they found us.”
Despite the detailed accounts by the Coast Guardsmen, federal officials have downplayed these reports. White House spokesman John Kirby suggested that these might be commercial and hobbyist drones, law enforcement aircraft, or even celestial bodies misidentified as drones.
Criticism from local officials has mounted against the federal dismissals. Representatives Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew, both Republicans from New Jersey, have voiced dissatisfaction with the explanations provided, questioning the adequacy of the investigations into these incidents.
John Kirby also commented on the situation, saying, “We assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and even stars that were mistakenly reported as drones. We have not identified anything anomalous or any national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the Northeast. The work continues.”
Frustration among the Coast Guardsmen is palpable. A sailor protested the underestimation of their professional judgment. “Commercial airplanes don’t move like that,” he explained. "I’ve been out there [on the water] when planes were coming in for landings in New York, and trust me, you can tell the difference. We’re not idiots, we know what drones look and sound like.”
Federal reassurances have done little to alleviate concerns or the perceived insult to the Coast Guardsmen's expertise. One anonymous Coast Guard member conveyed strong feelings about the dismissive attitude from Washington, D.C.:
“It’s the implication that’s insulting,” the Guardsman stated. “It’s implying we’re making sh-t up, when the ones making up sh-t are down in Washington, D.C. I don’t care what Kirby or [DHS head Alejandro] Mayorkas say, they’re full of sh-t.”
In summary, this event has not only highlighted the increasing drone activity over the Atlantic but also the growing tension between frontline service members and federal officials regarding the interpretation and significance of these encounters. The dissatisfaction expressed by the Coast Guardsmen points to a deeper issue of trust and recognition between operational forces and the federal administration overseeing them.
