NEW JERSEY – A US senator has called for “if necessary to shoot down” mysterious drones flying over sensitive areas in New Jersey and other parts of the Mid-Atlantic region as it remains unclear who owns them.

“We should urgently conduct an intelligence analysis and get them out of the sky, especially if they are flying over airports or military bases,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said Thursday as concerns about the drones spread across Capitol Hill.

People in the New York area are also concerned that the drones could share airspace with commercial airlines, he said.

The White House said Thursday that a review of reported sightings shows that many of them were actually manned aircraft flying legally.

In one case, a United flight was mistaken for a drone, and a video with millions of views on TikTok actually showed a low-flying State Police helicopter, according to flight footage.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said there were no reported sightings in restricted airspace. He said the U.S. Coast Guard had not uncovered any foreign involvement of coastal vessels.

“We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a threat to national security or public safety or have any foreign connection,” Kirby said, echoing statements from the Pentagon and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy . “If information comes to light that changes that characterization, then, my goodness, we will be the first to tell you.”

The drones appear to evade detection by traditional methods such as helicopters and radio, according to a state lawmaker briefed by the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday.

The FBI has begun an investigation and asked residents to share videos, photos or other information about the drones. On Wednesday, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said the drones were not US military drones.

The number of sightings has increased in recent days, although officials say many of the objects seen may have been aircraft rather than drones. It is also possible that a single drone was reported more than once.

The concern stems in part from the flying objects initially spotted near the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and production facility. and over President-elect Donald Trump’s golf course in Bedminster.

Drones are legal in New Jersey for recreational and commercial use, but are subject to local regulations and Federal Aviation Administration flight restrictions. Operators must be FAA certified.

Most, but not all, of the drones spotted in New Jersey were larger than those typically used by hobbyists.

Drone expert Mike Innella told Eyewitness News that the drones are sophisticated – much more so than the small, three-pound commercial drone his company would use.

“The ability to travel longer distances, stay there longer and keep up with weather conditions is something that is not your little RadioShack drone,” Inella said.

He also says it would be a bad idea to shoot down the drones.

“I would rather try to find out or identify where they come from. But you don’t want to shoot down drones like that. They’re way too big,” Innella said.

New Jersey Rep. Brian Bergen said Gov. Phil Murphy should consider deploying the National Guard to track or jam the drones.

“Let’s put some Army pilots there who know what they’re doing and follow these things to where they land,” Bergen said.

Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said he was frustrated by the lack of transparency, saying it could help spread fear or misinformation.

“We should know what is going on in our skies,” he said Thursday.

Fantasia, a Republican from Morris County, was among several lawmakers who met with state police and Homeland Security officials to discuss the spate of sightings that have occurred from the New York City area through New Jersey and west into parts of Pennsylvania , including Philadelphia. It is currently unknown if the sightings are related.

Two Republican congressmen from the Jersey Shore area, U.S. Reps. Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew, have also called on the military to shoot down the drones.

Smith said a U.S. Coast Guard commanding officer informed him of an incident over the weekend in which a dozen drones followed a Coast Guard motorized rescue boat “in close quarters” near Barnegat Light and Island Beach State Park in Ocean County.

Coast Guard Lt. Luke Pinneo told the Associated Press on Wednesday that “several low-flying aircraft were observed near one of our vessels near Island Beach State Park.”

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