Report: Unidentified Drones Surveilling US Military Sites

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Facts

  • According to a report by the Wall Street Journal, unidentified drones have been observed surveilling sensitive US military sites — including Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, and Edwards Air Force Base, Nevada — in the past year.[1][2][3]
  • The drones, appearing in groups of a dozen or more, were first reported in December 2023 at Langley, home to advanced F-22 Raptor fighter jets.[4][2]
  • US Air Force Gen. Mark Kelly described seeing drones 20 feet (6 meters) long flying between 45 minutes to an hour after sunset at over 100 mph (161 km/hr) at 3K-4K feet (914-1,219 meters).[5]
  • The drone sightings continued for 17 days, raising suspicions of the potential involvement of foreign adversaries like Russia or China. However, the origin and operators of these drones remain unknown.[2]
  • US laws bar the military from shooting down drones for fear of risks to troops and civilians. The option of signal jamming was reportedly ruled out as it would potentially interfere with key emergency and WiFi systems.[3]
  • The report comes after a Chinese national was arrested for flying a drone near Langley and photographing Navy ships in January. However, the FBI found no links to the PRC government.[6]

Sources: [1]FOX News, [2]New York Post, [3]Wsj, [4]The Telegraph, [5]Jerusalem Post and [6]DroneXL.co.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by New York Post. These drone incursions pose a serious national security threat. Foreign adversaries could be gathering crucial intelligence on America's most advanced military assets. The Pentagon's inability to effectively counter these drones exposes a significant vulnerability in national defense systems.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Washington Post. While this report is intriguing, it's possible that drone sightings might be exaggerated or misinterpreted. Without concrete evidence of foreign involvement, it's premature to assume malicious intent. Overreacting could lead to unnecessary tensions with other nations, as shown by the extreme reaction to the previous PRC spy balloon incident.

Predictions