In an unsettling event late last year, a mysterious group of drones repeatedly entered the airspace of a highly secure U.S. military base in Virginia. Over a span of 17 days, these unknown drones flew over Langley Air Force Base, a major military installation on the coast, puzzling military officials and raising concerns about the safety of the base and national security.
Mysterious Drones at Langley Air Force Base
The incident took place in December 2023, when Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, home to some of the most advanced fighter jets in the world, started seeing an unusual fleet of drones in the sky. Military personnel reported these drones would fly over the base every night, entering restricted airspace where only authorized aircraft are allowed.
According to a report, the drones typically appeared 45 minutes to an hour after sunset, almost like they were waiting for the cover of darkness. One high-ranking Air Force general, Mark Kelly, was among the military officers who saw these strange drones. He described the first drone he saw as being about 20 feet long, flying at speeds over 100 miles per hour and at altitudes between 3,000 to 4,000 feet—far higher and faster than a typical consumer drone.
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Even more strangely, the general and others reported seeing a dozen or more drones flying together on several occasions. They crossed over the Chesapeake Bay and continued their path towards Norfolk, Virginia, another crucial military location. Norfolk is home to Naval Station Norfolk, the largest naval base in the world, as well as the Navy’s elite SEAL Team Six. This has raised fears that the drones may have been gathering information about the U.S. military’s most critical operations.
No One Knows Who’s Behind It
Despite the obvious security risks, the U.S. military and intelligence agencies are still unsure who was responsible for sending the drones. According to officials, no one has been able to identify whether the fleet belonged to hobbyists, foreign adversaries like China or Russia, or even some other unknown group.
The military and the Department of Defense were immediately alarmed by these drone flights, as they occurred right over areas that contain sensitive military technology and operations. Langley Air Force Base is home to fighter jets like the F-22 Raptors, some of the most advanced warplanes in the world. Allowing unknown drones to get that close to these jets could risk sensitive information about U.S. defense capabilities getting into the wrong hands.
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The matter became so serious that it quickly reached the highest levels of government. President Joe Biden was briefed on the situation, and multiple meetings were held at the White House over the following two weeks in December. These meetings involved top officials from the Department of Defense, the FBI, and even the Pentagon’s UFO office, which was brought in to assess whether the drones might be related to unexplained aerial phenomena. Outside experts were also consulted to help determine the origin of the drones and whether they posed an immediate threat.
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Previous Drone Breaches in Nevada
This is not the first time unknown drones have flown over restricted U.S. airspace. Just two months before the drones appeared at Langley Air Force Base, a similar incident happened at a highly secure facility in Nevada. The Nevada National Security Site, which is a government testing location for nuclear weapons experiments, experienced a breach by five drones.
Four of these drones were detected by the site’s security systems, while the fifth was spotted by employees on the ground. This incident led to concerns about whether U.S. defense facilities are adequately protected from the increasing use of drones, especially as technology improves. Since then, the Nevada site upgraded its detection system, but much like in the case of Langley, the government has not been able to determine who was responsible.
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A Growing Concern for the U.S. Military
These breaches are troubling because they show that U.S. military sites, including those that handle nuclear materials or house top-of-the-line fighter jets, can be vulnerable to outside surveillance or even attack by drones. As the unidentified drone operated by unknown individuals or groups continues to fly over restricted areas, the Pentagon and other security agencies are left scrambling to figure out what to do next.
So far, though, the Langley Air Force Base has not commented on what exactly happened during those 17 days when the drone fleet repeatedly entered their airspace. The mystery surrounding these incidents remains unsolved, leaving many questions about who was behind the drone operations and what their intentions were.
In the meantime, military officials are likely to remain on high alert as they work to prevent future breaches and protect sensitive military technology from prying eyes in the sky.
