FBI, Homeland Security Provide Update On Drones In VA Skies

VIRGINIA — The FBI and Department of Homeland Security say they may have an answer for what's behind the increased sightings of mysterious aircraft and lights in the skies over Virginia and nearby states: absolutely nothing unusual.

In a joint statement released Tuesday, the agencies said that they've received some 5,000 tips and followed up on more than 100 leads with advanced detection technologies and trained observers.

"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 agencies said. "We have not identified anything anomalous and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the northeast."

See also: Drone Sightings In Virginia: Governor Criticizes Federal Response

This may well be met with a skeptical eye by the residents and officials across Virginia — including Gov. Glenn Youngkin — who have taken to social media over the past couple of weeks to share video of sights which they do not believe to be so easily explained away.

Youngkin has raised concerns over multiple drones spotted in the state, which is home to many national security sites. He said Saturday that federal authorities have not been forthcoming about sharing information.

“I remain deeply concerned that Virginia has consistently sought information from federal partners, and to date, the information shared with the Commonwealth has been insufficient,” Youngkin said in a statement. "The Virginia State Police Homeland Security Division and Virginia Department of Emergency Management continue to closely coordinate through our Fusion Center with the greater law enforcement and first responder community regarding drone activity in the Commonwealth."

The FBI and Homeland Security did not explain why, if the sightings are just regular private and commercial drones and planes, there has been such a marked increase in the sightings.

The federal agencies said they still "recognize the concern" the public has expressed regarding the drones, and urged Congress to pass "counter-UAS (unmanned aircraft systems)" legislation immediately. They advised new legislation to "extend and expand existing counter-drone authorities to identify and mitigate any threat that may emerge."

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Sightings over military facilities along the East Coast and around the country are not new, authorities said, and investigations are consistently ongoing into encroachment by drones over Department of Defense airspace.