Mysterious drones have been surveilling some of America’s most sensitive military sites, and the Pentagon is struggling to respond, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. The report states that these drones have been observed flying over military bases in Virginia and Nevada over the past year, including the secret base of the Navy’s elite SEAL Team Six and Naval Station Norfolk, the world’s largest naval port.
Federal laws currently prevent the military from shooting down these drones due to the risk they could pose to troops and civilians. The Wall Street Journal also reported that high-level White House meetings ruled out jamming the drones’ signals, citing concerns that it might interfere with 911 systems, WiFi networks, and commercial airlines.
Former U.S. Air Force Gen. Mark Kelly revealed to the Wall Street Journal that he first learned about the drone sightings in December 2023, when officials at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia reported seeing dozens of drones flying over the base at night. Langley is home to the F-22 Raptor, one of America’s most advanced stealth fighter jets.
The drone sightings continued for 17 days, raising suspicions that they might be the work of Russian or Chinese agents seeking to spy on American military assets. However, since the drones did not pose an immediate threat, military law prohibited any action to shoot them down.
The option of directed jamming attacks was also deemed too risky, as it could disrupt commercial air traffic, especially during the peak of the holiday travel season, according to an FAA official. Analog methods proved ineffective as local police assisting in the investigation lost sight of the drones during nighttime pursuits, the Wall Street Journal reported.
The sightings ended on December 23, with authorities still unsure of the drones’ origin or who was controlling them. The complexity and coordination of the operation led officials to dismiss the idea that amateur drone pilots were responsible.
A significant clue emerged in January when a Chinese student named Fengyun Shi, studying at the University of Minnesota, was caught flying a drone near Langley Air Force Base. Shi’s drone got stuck in a tree, which he abandoned before flying to California. The drone was later retrieved by the FBI, who discovered it had taken photos of Navy ships docked at the base.
Shi was arrested as he prepared to board a one-way flight to China and was charged with unlawfully taking photographs of classified naval installations, marking the first such case involving a drone. Magistrate Judge Lawrence Leonard rejected Shi’s claim that he was merely a student flying a drone for fun, and Shi pleaded guilty to espionage charges on October 2.
Despite these incidents, U.S. officials have confirmed that similar drone swarms have recently been observed near Edwards Air Force Base in Nevada. The Defense Department has not yet publicly identified the source behind these surveillance drones.
