US government experiment not confirmed by drone experts in New Jersey; alternative theories being considered.

The dozens of drone sightings over New Jersey have left drone experts baffled, as they have yet to determine the cause of the sightings, but have ruled out the possibility that they might be linked to a classified government program.

It is challenging to make any predictions without a clear image or any remaining hardware.

""We haven't seen any clear images, so it's difficult to say anything until something is found," said Brett Velicovich, Planet Chronicle contributor and CEO of Expert Drones."

Nearly a month ago, on Nov. 18, drone sightings were first reported and have been observed every night from dusk until approximately 11 p.m.

According to New Jersey state Rep. Dawn Fantasia, who received a briefing from law enforcement, the drones are six feet in diameter, fly in a coordinated manner with their lights off, and "seem to evade detection by traditional methods." Reports indicate that there have been between four and 180 sightings per night in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut.

Public speculation has been rampant due to the lack of information about their law enforcement origins.

The theory that the drones were part of a classified government test was poured cold water on by Velicovich.

Velicovich stated, "I find it hard to believe that people think everything they see is a drone. Maybe it started that way, but I’ve seen a lot of images that look like planes."

When working on classified drone projects, the protocol was to inform local police, he stated.

"We test things in remote locations like Area 51 to prevent public hysteria. However, when we conduct secret exercises in cities, we always inform the local police."

Stacie Pettyjohn, a drone expert at the Center for New American Security, concurred. "The drones would be operated on a military base or testing facility, and they wouldn't be flying over sensitive industrial areas, such as those in New Jersey."

Experts concurred that what initially began as drones may have escalated into a public fear, where everything in the sky is presumed to be a drone. They added that photographic drones seeking to capture images of the drone craze could have exacerbated the panic.

Pettyjohn stated that people will begin to perceive what they anticipate to perceive.

Velicovich stated that he hasn't been presented with a distinct drone photo by anyone.

"Either the air is filled with drones or there are numerous planes in the area attempting to capture images and detect information."

The FBI stated that many of the reported drone sightings were actually planes.

No evidence has been found to suggest that the reported drone sightings pose a threat to national security or public safety, or have a foreign connection, according to a joint statement by the FBI and Department of Homeland Security issued on Thursday.

"In New Jersey, we are assisting local law enforcement with various detection techniques, but we have not verified any of the reported visual sightings through electronic detection. On the contrary, upon examining the available imagery, it seems that many of the reported sightings are manned aircraft, operating legally. There are no confirmed drone sightings in any restricted airspace."

This week, the FBI disclosed that its annual budget for counter-drone technology is only $500,000.

This week, Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., stated that the drones might be linked to an Iranian "mothership," which led the Pentagon to declare that they had not found any evidence the drones originated from a U.S. adversary.

Velicovich stated that he is not convinced that the drones are of foreign origin, but U.S. adversaries possess the ability to be responsible for the incidents.

"The challenge is not that foreign countries like China, Russia, and Iran have systems capable of traveling long distances and carrying drones, but rather the daily occurrences in countries like Ukraine."

It was assumed by Pettyjohn that the drones' operation required someone based in the U.S.

"Assuming they're here locally, it could be a spy or a nefarious actor, but since they're on the ground, it's challenging to identify them and their location with these unremarkable systems," she stated.

"Probably, they can be in the air for five hours or less, and a lot of them are less than that. This implies that someone physically here is flying them."

An adversary could be using the drones to create a distraction, according to China expert Gordon Chang.

"You wouldn't put on such a grand display with large objects and flashing lights for days, advertising a drone attack on the U.S.," Chang said.

"He said that he thinks they're trying to draw our attention away from something happening elsewhere, which makes him worry about what we're not paying attention to because of the drones."