DAYTON, Ohio (WJW) – Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, was shut down for hours this weekend due to drone activity.
The shutdown occurred amid reports of clusters of drone-like objects flying low in the night sky in several states, but very little information has been released about them.
Some of the drones, or suspected drones, have also been flying over military installations, alarming residents in states including New Jersey and New York. Officials have attempted to reassure the public that military installations are able to detect and respond to drones, and security personnel are trained to identify them.
The FBI had said last week that the drones do not belong to the U.S. military and that foreign governments are not behind the objects.
On Sunday, officials at Wright-Patterson confirmed its airspace was closed for four hours on Friday night and early Saturday because of small unmanned aerial systems being spotted in the vicinity. The shutdown meant that no airplanes were allowed in and out of the base. Wright-Patterson's officials did not divulge the altitude at which the systems were flying, but they said they ranged in different shapes and sizes.
“Installation leadership has determined none of the incursions impacted our base, our residents, our facilities or our assets,” said Wright-Patterson Public Affairs Chief Robert Purtiman.
There is growing bipartisan outrage that the federal government has not offered a clear explanation as to who is behind the confirmed drone sightings. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has asked the Department of Homeland Security to immediately deploy the Robin Radar System to get to the bottom of this.
“We’re asking The Department of Homeland Security to deploy special detection systems like the Robin, which use not a linear line of sight, but 360-degree technology that has a much better chance of detecting these drones,” said Senator Schumer. “We're asking DHS to bring them to the New York and New Jersey area.”
The sightings have caused concern in several states but many officials said the aerial objects are actually planes or helicopters. Police in Boston arrested two men after drones were spotted flying “dangerously close” to Logan International Airport.
The Department of Defense has confirmed sightings at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey, but officials also said they have no evidence the drones are being used maliciously or are being operated by foreign governments. The lack of answers from federal officials has prompted some local law enforcement agencies to take action.
Similar sightings have been reported reported in San Diego County and other parts of Southern California, Nexstar’s KTLA reports. Mysterious drones have also been spotted over Bowie, Maryland, according to videos sent to Nexstar’s WDVM by a viewer.
Michael Mastronardy, the sheriff in Ocean County, New Jersey, told NewsNation that one of his deputies called 911 after spotting 50 drones over the ocean, which forced the U.S. Coast Guard to take action.
Mastronardy said the department contacted New Jersey state police, FBI and Coast Guard.
