US Government Says Drones are ‘Lawful’ Aircraft, Stars

‘We have not identified anything anomalous and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk,’ the agencies said.

The evening sky and points of light near in Lebanon Township, N.J., on Dec. 5, 2024. Trisha Bushey via AP

The mysterious flying objects spotted in New Jersey and other states are in some cases drones and in others fixed-wing aircraft or stars, the U.S. Department of Defense and other government agencies said on Dec. 16.

“Having closely examined the technical data and tips from concerned citizens, 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 stars mistakenly reported as drones,” the Pentagon, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and the Federal Aviation Administration said in a joint statement on the social media platform X.