Congressman Jeff VanDrew of New Jersey claims Iran has positioned a drone mothership off the U.S. East Coast, allegedly responsible for recent mysterious drone activities in the region.
The assertion comes amid widespread reports of sophisticated drone sightings across New Jersey, with observers noting larger-than-usual unmanned aircraft operating near critical infrastructure and sensitive locations, including military installations and President-elect Trump’s Bedminster golf course.
The FBI and local law enforcement are actively investigating the incidents, though they maintain there is no immediate threat to public safety.
“I’m going to tell you the real deal,” VanDrew told FoxNews. “Iran launched a mothership, probably about a month ago, that contains these drones. That mothership is off East Coast of the America. They’ve launched drones,” he added, citing confidential sources. “These drones should be shot down!”
Congressmen Jeff VanDrew on Fox just unveiled the drones over NJ are from IRAN. They launched a mothership boat off the east coast about a month ago and these drones are coming and going from there. He called for them to be shot down immediately. #UAP #UFO #drones #NJDRONES pic.twitter.com/sVx2iuaK7S
— StormForce_1 ?? (@StormForce_1) December 11, 2024
The Pentagon has since denied the VanDrew’s claim. “There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States, and there’s no so-called mothership launching drones towards the United States,” said Sabrina Singh, Deputy Defense Press Secretary, during a Pentagon press briefing on Wednesday.
Earlier this week, U.S. Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) sent a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin urging him to deploy all available resources to investigate the occurrences, citing mounting concerns about potential homeland security threats. Smith’s letter followed an apparent briefing from a U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Commanding Officer, who reported that over a dozen drones had closely pursued a USCG motor lifeboat over the weekend.
“As you no doubt are also aware, there have been numerous instances of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) flying over New Jersey, including in close proximity to sensitive sites and critical infrastructure, to include military installations located in my district,” said Smith.
“The serious concerns of New Jersey residents need to be put to rest with answers—not empty reassurances,” Smith stated. “The time to act is now.”
The situation has sparked varied theories about the origin of the New Jersey drone activities, with some experts suggesting they could be part of covert government operations or foreign surveillance efforts.
VanDrew’s claims of an Iranian mothership comes amid Iran’s apparent expansion of its naval drone capabilities. According to a report from Business Insider, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy has launched its first drone carrier, the Shahid Bagheri, which recently departed its home port for sea trials, citing satellite imagery from from the surveillance firm BlackSky.
“[BlackSky] has monitored the vessel’s commercial-to-military conversion, collecting 450+ high-cadence, time-diverse images since 2023, noting the ship’s first absence Nov. 28 from the Iran Shipbuilding & Offshore Industries Complex Company shipyard,” the company wrote on X.
The 790-foot vessel, converted from a containership, features a distinctive ski-jump ramp and an angled flight deck spanning nearly 600 feet.
According to Farzin Nadimi, a senior fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, the Bagheri represents Tehran’s growing ambition to project power beyond its regional waters. The vessel is designed to conduct long-range surveillance and strike missions, with capabilities to deploy and recover various types of drones.
The website TankerTrackers.com has also since thrown additional hot water on the idea of an Iranian drone mothership off the U.S. coast, stating on X, “Iran has two drone carrier vessels; the SHAHID BAGHERI and the SHAHID MAHDAVI. Both are located in the anchorage of Shahid Bahonar, Iran. We know this because we are looking at them right now.”
While it seems highly unlikely, if not impossible, that the either drone ship is connected to Congressman VanDrew’s claims or the New Jersey drone sightings, the timing of the report raises questions about Iran’s expanding naval drone capabilities and their potential reach beyond their traditional areas of operation. As for the New Jersey drones, your guess is as good as mine.
“At this time we have no evidence that these activities are coming from a foreign entity or the work of an adversary. We’re going to continue monitoring what is happening,” said Singh.
Join the gCaptain Club for curated content, insider opinions, and vibrant community discussions.
Join the 109,025 members that receive our newsletter.
Have a news tip? Let us know.
U.S. President Joe Biden's administration imposed its broadest package of sanctions so far targeting Russia's oil and gas revenues on Friday, in an effort to give Kyiv and Donald Trump's incoming team leverage to reach a deal for peace in Ukraine.
(Bloomberg) — An unusually large flotilla of merchant vessels has backed up near Yemen’s Ras Isa port in the Red Sea after Israeli air raids damaged the tugboats needed to...
Maritime security firm Ambrey has confirmed the successful salvage of the MT SOUNION, a Greek-owned oil tanker that became a focal point as one of the worst attacks in the ongoing...
Maritime and offshore news trusted by our 109,025 members delivered daily straight to your inbox.
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
