NJ lawmaker urges Department of Defense to promptly investigate drone sightings.

A New Jersey state senator is urging the Department of Defense to probe the recent inexplicable nighttime drone sightings, as public dissatisfaction mounts due to the absence of explanations.

"State Sen. Jon Bramnick, R-N.J., stated on "America Reports" Wednesday that the state police lack the expertise to handle the situation with the drones, but the Department of Defense has the technology to monitor them."

"The issue is that the Department of Defense is not present in New Jersey at the moment. I urge for its immediate arrival to shut down airspace completely to drones and declare a limited state of emergency until we determine the cause of the situation. However, without the Department of Defense, state officials will have no access to the necessary technology and information to address the issue."

On "The Faulkner Focus" on Wednesday, Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., stated that there are "very qualified" and "reliable" sources who believe the drones seen in New Jersey's skies are linked to an Iranian "mothership" located off the U.S. East Coast. However, the Pentagon later denied this claim.

Van Drew urged the drones to be "eliminated," emphasizing the potential risks to national security.

Van Drew was raising a "serious issue," according to Bramnick, who said he was "not the kind of guy to make stuff up."

Bramnick urged that the Department of Defense urgently track and investigate the drones based on Van Drew's statement, public opinion, and what he learned today.

"This is not a joking matter. It's serious. What's most concerning is that I, as an individual, would never have imagined that drones the size of SUVs in the sky would be a concern. I would think that the Air Force or military would know about it, and citizens calling the FBI would be the only ones concerned. This is unsettling," he stated.

On Monday, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy described the drones as "very sophisticated" and expressed frustration over the lack of clarity about their origin. Despite scheduling a meeting for Wednesday morning in Ewing, New Jersey, the governor did not attend.

In response to the governor's absence, Pequannock Mayor Ryan Herd stated, "Phil Murphy, where are you?"

Bramnick stated that he had contacted the Murphy administration and urged them to request the Department of Defense to arrive promptly.

The Monmouth County sheriff's office issued a statement Wednesday evening calling on Governor Murphy to declare a state of emergency and enact an executive order prohibiting recreational drone use during nighttime hours.

The Monmouth County Sheriff's Office and its law enforcement partners require immediate action from the State of New Jersey. A State of Emergency will help alleviate these escalating concerns and provide reassurance to communities.

On Monday night, Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., who represents parts of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, spoke to several individuals, including a U.S. Coast Guard commanding officer stationed in Barnegat Light, while spending time on the beach.

The Coast Guard commander informed Smith that one of their 47-foot boats was closely followed by more than a dozen drones the previous night.

The FBI's Newark field office issued a statement on December 3 requesting details about the reported drone sightings.

"Law enforcement agencies, including the FBI Newark, NJ State Police, and NJ Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, are requesting the public to report any information related to recent sightings of possible drones flying in several areas along the Raritan River. Witnesses have reported seeing a cluster of what appear to be drones and a possible fixed wing aircraft. Reports from the public and law enforcement date back several weeks."

Planet Chronicle Digital's Taylor Penley and Greg Wehner contributed to this report.