INVASION OF THE DRONES: Breaking: The Truth Behind the Mystery Drones Over New Jersey—A Government Operation and a PSYOP

By Jason Sullivan, Guest Contributor for The Gateway Pundit
Source: UNLEASHED.NEWS
Date: December 16, 2024

Please visit www.unleashed.news and support our work by using the exclusive discount code: TheGatewayPundit for a permanent $5 discount on subscriptions.

It begins at night—always at night. Residents across New Jersey have been witnessing something straight out of science fiction: vehicle-sized drones flying low over neighborhoods, their navigational lights flashing like signals in the darkness. At first, people thought they were planes, maybe helicopters. But these machines don’t behave like either. They hover, stop mid-flight, and dart sideways with precision before rocketing into the sky at unimaginable speeds.

“It’s kind of unsettling,” said Mike Walsh, a Randolph resident who has seen the drones numerous times. “Some are very big, probably the size of a car.” (Source: Yahoo News)

From Middletown to Lakewood, witnesses describe the same chilling scenes: drones performing gravity-defying maneuvers over suburban rooftops. Another local, identified as Read, described the drones’ nocturnal patterns: “One is stationary, the others are in and out of the tree line. It’s strange. They’re out there for hours, never during the day.” (Source: People Magazine)

Adding to the mystery, U.S. Representative Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ made a provocative claim during a recent interview: “These drones are Iranian. They’re coming from a mothership positioned off our coast, and they’re being deployed in clusters.”

The statement triggered an immediate response from Sabrina Singh, the Pentagon’s deputy press secretary. Singh unequivocally denied the allegation, stating: “These drones are not Iranian, nor is there any mothership positioned off the U.S. coast. These are not foreign assets.”

Meanwhile, John Kirby, White House National Security Communications Adviser, sought to downplay the sightings entirely, claiming: “What people are seeing are likely just regular manned airplanes. There’s no evidence to suggest anything unusual.” Kirby’s dismissive remarks have only added to the public’s frustration and speculation.

The FBI has issued a public plea for help in identifying these UAVs, urging residents to report sightings. However, this move appears less about genuine investigation and more about assessing public perception of these mysterious vehicles.

“One of our police officers working for the sheriff chronicled 50 drones coming from the ocean onto land—50!” said U.S. Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ), emphasizing the scale of the activity during a recent briefing.

The Patterns and Common Denominators

Lets begin with the facts:

Unprecedented Volume of Sightings
Residents report seeing clusters of 50 or more drones emerging from the Atlantic Ocean, moving inland. Law enforcement has confirmed over 50 drones in a single wave, while a dozen or more drones were seen following a U.S. Coast Guard vessel.

Flying Over Residential Areas
The drones are flying low over suburban neighborhoods, with their bright navigational lights clearly visible. Witnesses describe them as large, vehicle-sized, moving silently through the night. Their presence feels intentional, as if designed to provoke public attention and fuel speculation.

Proximity to Sensitive Locations
The drones have flown near or directly over critical infrastructure, including water reservoirs, power grids, and military facilities like Picatinny Arsenal and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, two of the most strategic installations on the East Coast.

Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JB MDL) is home to a critical Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) facility at its Lakehurst site. This facility plays a specialized role in researching, testing, and supporting aircraft systems—particularly Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE) and Naval Aviation Support Equipment (SE)—which are essential for Navy combat operations. While NAWCAD’s headquarters is located at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, the Lakehurst site remains a vital hub for testing advanced technologies that directly align with modern unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Its presence adds further relevance to these mysterious drone sightings, strengthening the connection between advanced aviation research and the observed drone activity.

The Key Clue: Where Are They Coming From?

One of the most critical clues lies in where these drones are coming from. Witnesses consistently report seeing the drones emerging from the Atlantic Ocean, flying inland in organized formations.

If these drones are autonomous UAVs, they have finite battery life, meaning they cannot be flying across the ocean from distant foreign shores. Moreover, the Pentagon has explicitly denied the existence of an Iranian “mothership” or any foreign vessel operating off the Atlantic Coast. This leaves only one plausible explanation:

These drones are being launched from U.S. military ships positioned just off the coast.

This revelation points to a deliberate and coordinated operation, one that aligns closely with recent Navy programs designed to test UAVs in real-world conditions.
The Key West Exercises

Clues to their origin can be found in recent U.S. Navy exercises conducted off the coast of Key West, Florida. Earlier this year, the Navy ran a series of tests using advanced unmanned systems as part of a classified military program. These exercises included:

Simulating real-world scenarios near critical infrastructure.
Testing advanced UAV technologies in contested environments.

Rear Adm. Jim Aiken, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (USNAVSOUTH) & U.S. 4th Fleet, provided a statement regarding the broader purpose of the Hybrid Fleet Campaign Event (HFCE), which involved evaluating advanced technologies, including unmanned systems like the PteroDynamics Transwing X-P4 drones. “This week’s technology evaluation event will push boundaries and risk failure in order to allow us to evaluate unmanned technology and then move to operationalize that technology to inform the hybrid fleet.”

What the Drones Are

After digging deeper into the Key West military exercises, one vital clue stood out: These trials, overseen by Rear Adm. Jim Aiken, featured one cutting-edge unmanned UAV system that was put to the test in a simulated real-world scenario.

The drones seen flying over New Jersey match all the defining characteristics of the PteroDynamics X-P4 Transwing VTOL UAS, a revolutionary unmanned aerial system that is transforming modern drone technology:

Silent Hovering and Stationary Flight: The X-P4 is equipped with vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities, allowing it to hover silently and remain stationary in midair—just as described by witnesses.

Morphing and Transforming Design: The X-P4 can change forms by unfolding its retractable wings, transforming from a hovering VTOL drone into a fixed-wing aircraft. This morphing capability enables seamless transitions between modes, combining the agility of a drone with the speed and efficiency of an airplane.

We Interrupt This Program: John Kirby, White House National Security Communications Adviser, dismissive remark that these drones are “just regular manned airplanes” is nothing short of a blatant attempt to mislead the American people. By capitalizing on the PteroDynamics X-P4’s ability to morph from hovering drone mode into fixed-wing aircraft mode, he seems to think he can pull the wool over the public’s eyes, knowing full well that such transformations—especially when witnessed in the dark—would naturally appear strange and even deceptive. Shame on Kirby for underestimating the intelligence of the American people and insulting their observations with such a condescending and transparent attempt to downplay the truth.

Cont.

Unmatched Agility: The X-P4 can perform side-to-side darting, sudden altitude changes, and high-speed acceleration. Witnesses described drones performing sharp, gravity-defying maneuvers—behaviors that are identical to the X-P4’s design capabilities.

High-Speed Flight: Once transformed into fixed-wing mode, the X-P4 can exceed speeds of 115 mph, making it one of the fastest drones in its class.

Fully Autonomous Operations: The X-P4 is equipped with advanced AI and autonomy systems, enabling it to operate independently, navigate complex environments, and even perform swarm operations.

Bright Navigational Lights: The drones spotted in New Jersey featured bright, visible lights at night. This is consistent with military protocols for unmanned aerial systems, which use lighting to prevent midair collisions during training or operational exercises.

Purpose-Driven Design: The X-P4 is engineered for contested and tight environments, such as ship-to-shore or ship-to-ship missions. Its design allows it to operate in restricted spaces, including urban areas, while maintaining unmatched precision and control.

The Key West exercises were designed to stress-test this exact technology in environments that mimic the challenges faced in urban and maritime regions. The maneuvers performed during those tests—darting, hovering, accelerating, and sudden altitude shifts—mirror precisely what residents in New Jersey are reporting.

The PteroDynamics X-P4 Transwing VTOL UAS, developed under a U.S. Navy contract awarded by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), is emerging as the undeniable match to the drones being seen across New Jersey and neighboring states. This isn’t speculation; this is the same technology the Navy is actively testing.

PteroDynamics X-P4 Transwing® sizzle video

The PteroDynamics X-P4 Transwing VTOL UAS was also prominently featured during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024 exercises—the worlds largest international maritime exercise—held from June 27 to August 1, 2024, in and around the Hawaiian Islands.

As part of Trident Warrior 2024, the Fleet experimentation arm of RIMPAC, the X-P4 was evaluated for its potential to revolutionize maritime logistics.  , which performed autonomous ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore deliveries of medical supplies and critical parts.

RIMPAC involved 29 nations, 40 surface ships, 3 submarines, and over 150 aircraft, underscoring the scale of the operation. The X-P4 proved itself as a critical asset for contested environments.

Further solidifying this connection, PteroDynamics, an innovative aerospace company specializing in vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, secured a U.S. Navy contract in August 2021 through NAWCAD to deliver three VTOL prototypes for the Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS program. This initiative was specifically designed to enhance the Navy’s ability to autonomously transport critical cargo between ships at sea. The programs focus on advanced drone technologies, capable of autonomous operations in complex maritime and restricted environments, aligns perfectly with the reported behaviors of the drones seen in New Jersey.

NAWCAD, located at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, is not only a vital hub for advanced aerospace research but also the very site where these mysterious drones have been seen flying overhead. It is no coincidence that NAWCAD serves as the military base responsible for contracting PteroDynamics to develop these cutting-edge unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The presence of these drones in close proximity to NAWCADs testing facilities and the alignment of their observed capabilities with the specifications of the PteroDynamics X-P4 Transwing VTOL UAS make the connection undeniable.

From NAWCADs mission to research and test advanced aviation technologies to its strategic partnership with PteroDynamics, every detail ties back to this site being the epicenter of the mystery. Witnesses describe drones capable of hovering, darting, and transforming—exactly the attributes of the Transwing. The X-P4s VTOL capabilities, ability to operate autonomously, and morphing design are not merely speculative; they are the documented product of Navy contracts, specifically tested under NAWCADs direction.

The connection is undeniable: the very technologies described in the Blue Water program—developed for ship-to-shore and ship-to-ship logistics—are being observed performing similar feats over suburban rooftops, military bases, and critical infrastructure. This contract further ties the sightings directly to U.S. Navy research and testing, making it irrefutable that these drones are U.S. military assets operating under a classified program. The mystery is solved, and the truth is clear: NAWCAD and PteroDynamics are at the heart of this story, and the PteroDynamics X-P4 Transwing VTOL UAS is the drone that has captured the publics imagination.

Final Revelation

These drones are U.S. military assets, deployed in a classified government operation for real-world exercises and in addition are serving as a psychological operation (PSYOP) aimed at provoking fear and confusion. But for what purpose?

Stay Tuned for Part 2

In the next installment, we will explore the deeper objectives behind these exercises and their implications for Americas security and civil liberties.

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Watch the Maneuverability Skills-Sept 2020 Transwing® flight showcase

Source Links:

News Articles

BBC: Mystery Drones Over New Jersey
Des Moines Register: Picatinny Arsenal Mystery Drones
NY Post: White House Security Advisor Dismisses Drone Sightings
Reuters: Pentagon Denies Iranian Drone Mothership Claims
Wall Street Journal: The Mystery Drones Are Back
DroneXL: Mysterious Drone Swarm Investigation
Asbury Park Press: Mystery Drones Over Jersey Shore
AP News: FBI Investigates NJ Drone Swarms
NY Post: Drone Crashes Into NJ Backyard

PteroDynamics & UAS Industry

New Atlas: PteroDynamics’ Transwing Navy Trials
PteroDynamics: Official Website
Unmanned Systems Technology: Industry Trends
Naval News: PteroDynamics Contract with Navy
EIN Presswire: PteroDynamics’ VTOL Aircraft
Defense Daily: Navy Awards PteroDynamics Contract
SBIR Awards: PteroDynamics Contracts
eVTOL News: Transwing Drones to US Navy
Airframer: PteroDynamics News

Demonstrations and Military Testing

Unmanned Systems Technology: Transwing VTOL at Sea
Interesting Engineering: Navy Trials
The Aviationist: US Navy VTOL Drone Testing
DVIDS: USS Curtis Wilbur Tests Drones
SURFPAC Navy: Curtis Wilbur Drone Testing
C3F Navy: RIMPAC 2024 Drone Testing

Videos

YouTube: PteroDynamics VTOL Demonstration
YouTube: Transwing Drone Trials
YouTube: Navy Fleet Hybrid Campaign
YouTube: VTOL Drone Demo

Images

PteroDynamics: Transwing on USNS Burlington
New Atlas: Ptero Transwing
YT MaxRes: Drone Flight

Patents and Technical Details

Patent: US10967969
Patent: US10556679

Additional Links

NAVAIR Lakehurst
Hybrid Fleet Campaign Event
PteroDynamics: Lessons from Transwing UAS on USNS Burlington
Inside Unmanned Systems: Transwing at Navy Event
X: PteroDynamics Social
Facebook: PteroDynamics
mil: RIMPAC 2024 Overview
NIWC Atlantic Key West Exercises

The post INVASION OF THE DRONES: Breaking: The Truth Behind the Mystery Drones Over New Jersey—A Government Operation and a PSYOP appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.