Pentagon confirms 'incursions' of unauthorized drones over Air Force base
The Pentagon has confirmed a number of “unauthorized” drone flights last year in restricted airspace over a Virginia base that houses the nation’s most advanced fighter jets.
The Wall Street Journal first reported that for 17 days in December, a fleet of the unidentified aircraft flew over Langley Air Force Base as well as over the area that includes the Navy’s SEAL Team Six home base and Naval Station Norfolk, the world’s largest naval port.
Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh on Tuesday confirmed Langley “did experience incursions of unauthorized unmanned aerial systems last year in December 2023.”
She said the number of those unmanned aerial system (UAS) incursions fluctuated on any given day but didn't appear to exhibit any hostile intent.
“It's something that we have kept our eye on, but I just don't have more to provide on that,” Singh told reporters.
Asked why the drones were not shot down, she said any commander of any base has the authority necessary to protect forces, facilities, infrastructure and capability there.
“I do know that with all of these incursions, given that it's on US soil there is another level of coordination within the interagency that needs to take place. But the commander absolutely had his or her authorities to engage any systems that are a threat to the base,” Singh said.
Objects flying into restricted airspace has worried national-security officials, with the most notable case happening early last year when a Chinese spy balloon hovered over the U.S. for a week before the U.S. military shot it down off the Carolina coast.
In last October, five drones flew over a government site used for nuclear-weapons experiments for three days. The Energy Department’s Nevada National Security Site outside Las Vegas detected the drones but did not know who operated them, the Journal reported.
And U.S. officials confirmed to the Journal this month that unidentified drone swarms were spotted in recent months near Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., north of Los Angeles.
The incursions at Langley, home to F-22 Raptors, would take place about 45 minutes to an hour after sunset. Officials estimated that as many as a dozen or more drones that were about 20 feet long kept an altitude of roughly 3,000 to 4,000 feet while flying over the base, according to the outlet.
Officials didn’t know who operated the aircraft but did not shoot them down because federal law prohibits U.S. forces from shooting down drones near military bases in the country unless they pose an imminent threat.
The Pentagon relayed the reports of the drones to the White House, and for two weeks, officials from the Defense Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation consulted with each other and experts to figure out who was responsible and how to respond, the Journal reported.
Gen. Glen VanHerck, then the head of U.S. Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command, told the Journal the incidents over Langley were unlike anything he’d seen in the past.
VanHerck ordered jet fighters and other aircraft to try to fly close to the drones to figure out more about them and also recommended that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin authorize electronic eavesdropping.
Because the drones flew in a pattern and some didn’t use the usual frequency band available for off-the-shelf commercial UAS, U.S. officials didn’t believe hobbyists were flying them.
The incursions caused Langley officials to cancel nighttime training missions and move the F-22s to another base. The drones last visited the base Dec. 23.
Authorities had no leads until Jan. 6, when a Chinese national, Fengyun Shi, got his drone stuck in a tree about 11 miles from the Langley base and outside a shipyard run by Huntington Ingalls Industries. The company builds nuclear submarines and the Navy’s new aircraft carrier.
A student at the University of Minnesota, Shi abandoned the drone, took an Amtrak train to Washington, D.C., and flew to Oakland, Calif., the next day. The FBI investigated the drone and found he photographed Navy vessels, with some shots taken around midnight.
Federal agents arrested Shi on Jan. 18 as he was about to take a flight to China on a one-way ticket, though he told agents he was just a ship enthusiast. Investigators could not link him to the Chinese government, and he was charged with unlawfully taking photos of classified naval installations and sentenced to six months in federal prison.
U.S. officials still have not figured out who flew the Langley drones.
Date: |
-
Top stories - BBC News
UN says Israeli tanks forced entry into base in south Lebanon
It comes as PM Netanyahu demands the peacekeeping force leave the area.3 days ago - Israel -
Sports - CBS Sports
Victor Wembanyama sues Texas man over unauthorized use of NIL to sell merchandise
A Texas man has been using Wembanyama's likeness on merchandise despite rejections from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office3 hours ago -
World - ABC News
China deploys record 125 warplanes in large scale military drill in warning to Taiwan
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry called the drills a provocation.2 days ago - China -
World - ABC News
China is holding large-scale naval and air force exercises circling Taiwan and outlying islands
China is holding large-scale naval and air force exercises circling Taiwan and outlying islands2 days ago - China -
Top stories - ABC News
Sending a THAAD air defense system to Israel adds to strain on US Army forces
U.S. Army leaders say the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery to Israel and roughly 100 soldiers to operate it will add to strains on the Army’s air defense forcesYesterday - Israel -
World - ABC News
Israel's military says four soldiers were killed in a Hezbollah drone attack on an army base next to Binyamina city
Israel's military says four soldiers were killed in a Hezbollah drone attack on an army base next to Binyamina city3 days ago - Israel -
World - ABC News
Israel says 4 soldiers killed by Hezbollah drone attack while Israeli strike in Gaza leaves 20 dead
Israel’s military says four soldiers were killed in a Hezbollah drone attack on an army base Sunday evening2 days ago - Israel
More from The Hill
-
Politics - The Hill
Lawmakers press Boeing to resolve monthlong strike
Welcome to The Hill's Business & Economy newsletter {beacon} Business & Economy Business & Economy The Big Story Lawmakers press Boeing to resolve monthlong strike Democratic lawmakers in ...33 minutes ago -
Politics - The Hill
NC county Democratic chair resigns after Trump sign stealing charges
A county Democratic chair in North Carolina resigned after he was arrested and charged with stealing road signs supporting former President Trump. The Moore County Democratic Party announced Monday ...50 minutes ago - Donald Trump -
Politics - The Hill
Big Tech turns to nuclear energy to power AI boom
Major technology companies are increasingly turning to nuclear energy as they attempt to keep up with the vast energy demands of artificial intelligence (AI) without derailing their highly ...54 minutes ago -
Politics - The Hill
Warnock on Marjorie Taylor Greene: 'I pray for her every day'
Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) said he prays for Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R) daily after the Republican falsely claimed people controlled the weather after Hurricane Helene hit the ...57 minutes ago -
Politics - The Hill
House Democrats launch $3M ad campaign focused on Project 2025
The House Democratic campaign arm on Wednesday launched a multimillion-dollar ad blitz focused on Project 2025, a conservative blueprint for the next Republican presidency that Democrats have been ...1 hour ago