​Mysterious drone activity over US military base sparks national security concerns​​

U.S. Air Force Gen. Mark Kelly, stationed at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, received reports of unidentified aircraft flying over the base’s restricted airspace. Kelly joined other officers on the rooftop, all of whom were responsible for overseeing advanced fighter jets, including F-22 Raptors, to verify the claims, TheWall Street Journal reported.

The mystery began when military personnel reported repeated breaches of airspace near key national security sites. Kelly observed a drone, roughly 20 feet long, flying at more than 100 miles per hour at an altitude of 3,000 to 4,000 feet. Over the following nights, more drones appeared, heading south toward Norfolk, home to the Navy’s SEAL Team Six and the world’s largest naval port.

Officials were unsure if the drones were flown by hobbyists or foreign adversaries testing U.S. defenses.

Federal law prohibits the military from shooting down drones near military bases in the U.S. unless they pose an imminent threat. Although aerial snooping doesn’t qualify, some lawmakers hope to give the military greater leeway. The sightings led to two weeks of White House meetings with officials from the Defense Department, FBI, and other agencies to assess the situation and explore responses.

National security on alert

The incursions raised alarms after a similar incident in October 2023, when drones were spotted over a nuclear weapons site in Nevada. The growing number of drone intrusions is heightening national security concerns.

The Langley drone sightings revealed the difficulty in responding to drone threats on U.S. soil. Drones are widely used in warfare, but countering them domestically is more challenging. Taking them down could endanger civilians, yet allowing them to operate unchecked leaves critical military installations vulnerable.

In early 2023, a Chinese spy balloon hovered over the U.S. for eight days before the military decided it was safe to shoot it down. Ten months later, a swarm of drones appeared at Langley Air Force Base.

The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, U.S. February 4, 2023. Reuters

For 17 nights, the drones flew in and out of restricted airspace. Some had small lights, making them look like a moving constellation. Despite efforts to track and catch them, the drones always vanished without a trace.

Gen. Glen VanHerck, commander of U.S. Northern Command and NORAD, stated that drones had been spotted around defense installations for years, but the Langley incidents were unprecedented. Fighter jets were dispatched to gather intelligence, but military actions were constrained by legal limitations on U.S. soil.

Local police attempted to track the drones by car and on foot but were unable to intercept them. Despite military resources and technology, the drones consistently evaded capture and disappeared each night. The mysterious drones stopped appearing by Dec. 23, leaving officials with no clear answers.

In January, a potential lead emerged. Chinese national Fengyun Shi, a student at the University of Minnesota, was arrested after flying a drone near a naval shipyard in Newport News, Virginia. Shi claimed he was a ship enthusiast unaware of the restricted airspace. He was later charged with unlawfully photographing classified naval sites, but no link to the Langley drones or foreign espionage was proven.

While the Langley drone mystery remains unsolved, it highlights the growing risk posed by drone technology. The U.S. continues to face drone incursions, with new sightings near Edwards Air Force Base in California.

“This is a today problem,” said Tom Karako, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “It’s happening here and everywhere.”