Donald Trump has pledged to soon disclose the full story behind the New Jersey drone mystery, claiming that “the government knows what is happening”. The President-elect claims the drones spotted in large numbers along the East Coast have also been seen above his Bedminster golf course.
During a news briefing at his Mar A Lago resort in Florida, Trump vowed to spill the details “one day into his administration” – pinpointing January 21 as the date for revelations, the day after his inauguration as US president for the second time. He criticised the current administration, saying: “I think it’s ridiculous that [the Biden administration] us not telling you about what’s going on with the drones,” and remarked that the mystery extends beyond New Jersey, with sightings in Virginia as well.
Previously, Trump has suggested that the American government is responsible for the numerous drones observed over military facilities and residential neighborhoods. “The government knows what is happening,” he insisted.
“Our military knows where they took off from. If it’s a garage, they can go right into that garage. They know where it came from and where it went.”
Concluding his briefing, Trump implied the truth is out there but is being intentionally kept from the public, stating: “Our military knows and our president knows. And for some reason, they want to keep people in suspense,” reports the Mirror.
The majority of drone sightings are believed to be due to the rising popularity of inexpensive quadcopter drones, often flown by hobbyists. These are predominantly manufactured in China, but the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is contemplating a new rule to restrict the sale of Chinese drones in the United States over national security worries.
The US army has already prohibited the use of drones made by China’s giant Dai-Jing Innovations company (DJI) by its troops, citing “increased awareness of cyber vulnerabilities.”
These budget-friendly drones regularly connect back to DJI computer systems in China for software updates and routine usage monitoring and maintenance. Fears have been voiced that the US military should not become dependent on Chinese-made drones – as active-duty units already do in Ukraine and Israel – because the technology could easily be remotely “switched off” from China.
This could effectively “blind” US units in combat. DJI’s affordable cargo drones – capable of carrying payloads up to 60 pounds in weight – have no real competition from any Western manufacturer.
When DJI was labelled as a Chinese military asset in official Pentagon documents, the company took legal action, asserting that it “is neither owned nor controlled by the Chinese military.”