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Mysterious swarm of drones spotted over largest US naval base
Drone identity unconfirmed, no devices intercepted Aerial photos of warship found on drone belonging to Chinese student Lawyer calls 'worst spy'
The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, reported that a swarm of drones appeared over Langley Air Force Base and Norfolk Naval Station in Virginia for 17 days, but the Defense Department was unable to respond.
The area is home to many military installations, including the CIA headquarters in Langley, the world's largest naval base in Norfolk, and the base of Team Six, an elite Navy SEAL unit, located nearby.
Drones have been spotted at US military facilities before, but this case is unique, the publication's sources note. The current incident occurred in December 2023, when the device appeared in the sky 45-60 minutes after sunset. According to eyewitnesses, the drone was 6 meters long and flew at 160 kilometers per hour, and the sound it made resembled a "parade of lawn mowers." Some drones glowed faintly. Police tried to track the device on foot and in patrol cars, but were unsuccessful.
The WSJ officials acknowledged that it was unclear who owned the drone. Some speculated that Russia or China was behind the activity, seeking to test the reaction of American forces. Officials are not buying the enthusiasts’ theory, given the complexity of its operation and the fact that the drone did not use a frequency band typical of commercially produced drones.
The U.S. military is legally prohibited from shooting down drones near military bases unless the devices pose an immediate threat. Aerial surveillance does not fall under that definition.
President Joe Biden has been briefed on the current situation and a meeting has been held at the White House regarding the matter. The matter has been reviewed by Department of Defense officials, including the FBI and the UFO Unit.
In January 2024, a suspect emerged in the case. The man was Fengyun Shi, a 26-year-old University of Minnesota student and Chinese national. The FBI had found drone images of a military ship in dry dock. He was arrested after attempting to board a flight to China without a roundtrip ticket. He said he flew the drone for fun.
Shi was charged with illegally photographing sensitive naval installations, the first time drones had been authorized under the Espionage Act. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months in prison. “If he were a foreign agent, he would be the worst spy of all time,” said his lawyer, Xiaoming Cheng.