In a revelation that has sent shockwaves through both military circles and the public, a private contractor has claimed responsibility for the mysterious drone sightings that caused widespread alarm across New Jersey and much of the East Coast in late 2024. The disclosure was made during a high-profile demonstration at the Army’s UAS and Launched Effects Summit at Fort Rucker, Alabama, in August 2025, as reported by both the New York Post and Fox News Digital.
The saga began on November 13, 2024, when a swarm of drones was spotted hovering over the Picatinny Arsenal Army base in Morris County, New Jersey. What followed was a month-long panic, with hundreds of drones reportedly flying over neighborhoods, sparking fears, wild speculation, and even theories of extraterrestrial involvement. The sightings, which continued until mid-December, left residents and officials alike searching for answers.
At the heart of the recent revelation is a roughly 20-foot, four-winged aircraft with an unconventional appearance and flight pattern—described by witnesses as both mesmerizing and unsettling. During the summit at Fort Rucker, the unnamed private contractor conducted a live demonstration of this aerial craft, showcasing its unique maneuvers as it glided effortlessly just above the treetops. Attendees, including military veterans and drone experts, were left in awe by the aircraft’s performance.
According to a source who witnessed the demonstration and spoke to the New York Post, an employee of the contractor approached a small group after the flight and made a startling admission: “You remember that big UFO scare in New Jersey last year? Well, that was us.” The employee further explained that the company had been testing its capabilities over New Jersey in November 2024 and, due to a private government contract, was not obligated to disclose these activities to the public.
The aircraft itself was unlike anything most attendees had seen before. “It feels like it’s a UFO because it defies what you’re expecting to see,” one attendee told Fox News Digital, adding that the craft gave off an “uncanny valley feeling” as it quietly soared through the sky. “When it turned, you almost completely lost sight of it,” the individual continued. “Which is why I think people were seeing this up in the sky, and why there were reports of people seeing it and saying it disappeared.”
The demonstration at Fort Rucker was not a casual affair. All conference attendees and demonstrations had to be approved by the administration at the base, which strictly prohibited any use of aircraft containing Chinese-made parts, as reported by Fox News Digital. “It would definitely have to be cleared,” the unnamed attendee said. “Somebody was 100% in charge of coordinating that.”
While the Army’s UAS and Launched Effects Summit is typically a showcase for the latest in unmanned aerial technology, this year’s event took on a new level of intrigue with the contractor’s confession. The aircraft’s ability to appear and disappear, coupled with its unconventional design, provided a plausible explanation for the flood of UFO reports that gripped New Jersey last year.
The contractor’s admission sheds new light on the true nature of at least some of the sightings. Until now, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), under President Trump’s administration, had attributed many of the mysterious drone sightings to hobbyists, recreational pilots, and private individuals. In January 2025, the FAA publicly stated that the majority of reports were likely the result of civilian drone activity. However, as the New York Post notes, the revelation at the Army summit suggests that some of the sightings had a far more sophisticated origin.
The company’s operations in New Jersey were reportedly part of a series of exercises to “test out their capabilities,” according to the New York Post. Because of the nature of their government contract, the company was not required to inform the public of their activities. This lack of transparency, while legal, contributed to the confusion and fear that swept through the region as residents attempted to make sense of the mysterious objects in the sky.
The Army, for its part, has declined to comment on the matter, citing the ongoing federal government shutdown. Fort Rucker’s administration also did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital. The silence from official channels has only fueled further speculation, though the contractor’s public demonstration and admission have provided the clearest explanation to date.
The episode highlights the complex interplay between private contractors, government agencies, and public perception in the age of advanced drone technology. While the use of private companies to develop and test cutting-edge aerial systems is now standard practice for the U.S. military, the secrecy surrounding such operations can inadvertently spark public panic—especially when the technology in question is so advanced that it defies conventional expectations.
For New Jersey residents, the revelation may bring a measure of closure to a mystery that dominated headlines and social media for weeks. Yet, the incident also raises important questions about transparency and public notification when government-contracted testing occurs over civilian areas. As drone technology continues to evolve, so too will the challenges of managing public awareness and safety.
The story of the New Jersey drone scare is a reminder that, in the modern era, the line between science fiction and reality is increasingly blurred. As one attendee put it after witnessing the demonstration at Fort Rucker: “I thought it was the military testing something out on the other side of the base.” For many, that suspicion has now been confirmed—but not in the way anyone expected.
With the Army and FAA offering little in the way of official explanation, the contractor’s candid admission at a closed-door summit has become the most credible account of a saga that, for a moment, made the skies over New Jersey seem like the setting for a real-life X-Files episode. Whether this newfound clarity will prevent future panics remains to be seen, but for now, the mystery of the Garden State’s drone invasion appears to have been solved—by a company hiding in plain sight.
