An interactive map has revealed a disturbing pattern in drone sightings in the US.
Since October, an unexplained drone invasion has targeted US military bases around the world, starting with a swarm over Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.
The pattern became apparent when similar activity was reported over the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey on November 18.
Less than a week later, American bases in England and Germany began to suffer raids by “small unmanned aerial systems.”
Back in America, the sightings began to gain traction. “Multiple” incidents of drones appeared over the Navy weapons station in New Jersey, and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio closed its airspace on December 13 due to similar activity.
The list of affected bases continues to grow, with one in Texas joining the ranks after drones were spotted on December 18.
In White Settlement – home to the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth and Lockheed Martin – residents and police officers observed drones flying in formation about 100 feet in the air, sometimes in groups of six.
Christopher Cook, chief constable in White Settlement, said: ‘We have never seen drones formed in this way before.’
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Drones were spotted this week over White Settlement, a suburb of Fort Worth in North Texas that is home to the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth.
The White House said the sightings near or above the Department of Defense (DoD) “are not new.”
“DoD takes unauthorized access to its airspace seriously and is coordinating closely with federal, state, and local law enforcement authorities as appropriate,” the statement continued.
The Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense, the Federal Aviation Administration and the FBI released a joint statement on the matter this week.
“A combination of legal commercial drones, hobbyist drones and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and stars incorrectly reported as drones,” the agencies said.
Although the White House said drones have long infiltrated the airspace above bases, none appear to have caught the attention of those who have witnessed them in recent months.
The sightings began at Langley Air Force base when top Pentagon officials were baffled by a swarm of mysterious drones that continued for 17 days.
One or two fixed-wing drones flew more than 100 feet in the air, while smaller quadcopters, the size of twenty commercial drones, flew slower and lower and occasionally hovered.
They were preceded by a drone estimated to be 20 feet long and flying at 100 miles per hour at altitudes of up to 4,000 feet.
According to Gen. Mark Kelly, a decorated senior commander at the air base, the drones were nearly impossible to capture despite the Air Force’s vast resources.
Sightings over US military bases began as early as October, after several reports mentioned drones near Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia.
These were followed in mid-November by a drone presence at the Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey
Since the sightings over the Picatinny Arsenal in Rockaway began last month, The Army’s research and production facility has reported 11 drone incursions.
A spokesperson for Picatinny Arsenal told DailyMail.com: ‘We can confirm that they are not the result of any actions directed by Picatinny Arsenal or DEVCOM Armaments Center (formerly ARDEC).’
Shortly thereafter, reports began arriving at American bases in England and Germany.
From November 20 to 26, ‘small unmanned aerial systems’ were spotted near and over three US bases in Norfolk and Suffolk counties, England: RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall and RAF Feltwell.
Just two weeks later, unidentified drones were spotted over the US Ramstein Air Base in Germany on December 3 and 4.
About ten days later, the Joint Staff at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Monmouth County stated that they were aware of reports of drones invading the base’s airspace, although the exact timing of the incursions is unknown.
Bill Addison, public affairs officer for the Naval Station, said in a statement ABC News: ‘While no immediate threats to the installation have been identified, we can confirm multiple instances of unidentified drones entering the airspace over Naval Weapons Station Earle.
“The base remains prepared to respond to any potential risks, utilizing robust security measures and advanced detection capabilities.”
That same day, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, just east of Dayton, Ohio, temporarily closed its airspace due to drone sightings.
The Naval Weapons Station Earle in Monmouth County, New Jersey, reported this on December 13.
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, just east of Dayton, Ohio, temporarily closed its airspace due to drone sightings on December 13
Bob Purtiman, chief of public affairs for the 88th Air Base Wing at Wright-Patterson, said the “small unmanned aerial systems” were monitored by officials during the shutdown.
“To date, installation leadership has determined that none of the raids impacted base residents, facilities or assets,” Purtiman told DailyMail.com.
In one intake from the base’s air traffic control tower, posted to YouTube by The War Zone, a controller tells pilots to “exercise extreme caution” due to the “heavy UAS activity” above. UAS stands for ‘unmanned aircraft system’.
Wright-Patterson is located about five miles outside the city of Dayton in western Ohio. It is home to critical U.S. Air Force commands, including the Air Force Research Lab.
And this week, the FBI launched an investigation into drones flying near Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth in Texas.
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The WSPD is attempting to locate the operator after multiple reports from the public.
“Out of an abundance of caution, reports have been prepared and we are working with the FBI, NCIS and Air Force OSI to determine the flight paths and who was piloting the unmanned aircraft,” Cook added.
“While we do not believe there were any immediate threats related to last night’s activities, it is concerning due to the activities in ‘NO FLY ZONES’ near federal and military properties.”
The drones do not only target military bases. Sightings in civilian communities are widespread in the Northeast, with more than 5,000 reported across the country in the past month.
Citizens, law enforcement and government officials have all put forward theories about who or what is behind the wave of drone reports – ranging from mass hysteria to foreign espionage, space aliens to the secret hunt for a loose atomic bomb.
Despite growing concern among residents and officials of communities affected by this bizarre “drone invasion,” federal officials have repeatedly stated that there is no evidence that the drones pose a threat to national security or public safety.
The flying objects (example above) are larger than drones used by hobbyists, witnesses have noted, raising questions about their proximity to critical infrastructure and sensitive locations
But several state officials have suggested that these drones could monitor foreign adversaries such as Iran, China and Russia.
Some politicians have even urged the military to shoot them, including President-elect Donald Trump.
“Mysterious drone sightings across the country,” the Republican wrote on the social media site Truth Social on December 13.
“Can this really happen without the knowledge of our government? I don’t think so! Let the public know, now. Otherwise shoot them!!! D.J.T.’
Members of the public have also taken to social media to share numerous photos and videos of what they believe are drones or UAPs in their communities, and to express their frustration with the federal government’s response to these sightings.
Some have started taking matters into their own hands by pointing lasers or even shooting at the drones, especially in New Jersey, which has become a hotspot for drone activity.
In a stern warning to the public, New Jersey State Police and the FBI’s Newark office have urged the public to stop efforts to shoot down the state’s mysterious drones.
Whether the investigation into this latest sighting over White Settlement reveals new information about the operator – or operators – behind these drones remains to be seen.
If additional sightings occur near military installations or other sensitive areas in the US, it could also help investigators determine the purpose and potential threat level of these aircraft.