A New Jersey military base has revealed the sinister reason behind ‘multiple’ drone incursions over the past year.
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Broadhurst County claims that the increased drone incidents are related to efforts to smuggle contraband into a federal prison within the base’s perimeter.
The base, commonly referred to as McGuire AFB, is home to a low-security facility, FCI Fort Dix Prison, which houses the largest inmate population of any federal prison in the US.
‘This year, there have been multiple drone detections, involving attempts to smuggle contraband into the federal correctional institution hosted on our base,’ base spokesperson Kitsana R. Dounglomchan told The War Zone.
However, Dounglomchan explains that the airspace directly above the joint base enforces ‘standing flight restrictions’, which prohibit drones or other aircrafts from operating without authorization.
The unauthorized drone use in years past has been linked to attempts to sneak contraband, including cell phones, cell phone accessories, weight loss supplements and other prohibited items into the facility.
The base, located about 18 miles south of Trenton, ‘takes each case seriously’ and ‘aggressively coordinates’ with local law enforcement to ensure the safety of the location.
Several countermeasures have been installed to detect unauthorized drone use over the restricted airspace, as many have tried to outsmart the military using darkening tactics to mute onboard lighting, making the drones harder to spot.
A New Jersey military base has revealed the sinister reason as to why it has experienced ‘multiple’ drone incursions over the past year. Pictured: Several drones seen flying over New Jersey skies earlier this month
A spokesperson from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (pictured) in Broadhurst County claims that the increased drone incidents are related to efforts to smuggle contraband into a federal prison within the base’s perimeter
In recent months, the Garden State has been ravaged by thousands of unexplained drone sightings, as over 5,000 reports of unusual drone prevalence have been filed with federal law enforcement.
McGuire itself has been impacted by the public’s reaction to the sightings as pilots have reported being hit by lasers fired from the ground beginning on December 7.
All affected aviators did however manage to land safely, though one pilot required medical treatment.
Officials remain that they do not know the identity of the culprits, however, President Joe Biden announced Tuesday that his administration is following the issue ‘closely’.
‘We’re following this closely, but so far no sense of danger,’ the 82-year-old said in a White House briefing. ‘There’s a lot of drones authorized up there.’
‘I think one started it and they all – everybody wanted to get in the deal,’ he added, seemingly referring to a copycat’ theory as a possible source for the copious drone sightings.
The base declined to reveal the full extent of its countermeasures used to disrupt the flow of airborne contraband, but said drone smuggling has been a ‘long-standing challenge.’
