Summary
- FAA imposes flight restrictions around US Air Force Plant 42, home to classified aerospace development projects.
- Reports of UFO sightings prompt concerns over espionage and drone interference in military installations.
- Drones have become an increasing threat to aviation safety in recent years.
A series of unidentified flying object (UFO) reports around a highly classified US Air Force base in California have coincided with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) imposing temporary flight restrictions in the area. United States Air Force Plant 42 – home to advanced military aerospace development projects – has experienced a surge in suspected drone incursions within the past few months.
FAA flight restrictions around Plant 42
Residents of Palmdale, California have reported seeing several unidentified objects in the skies over the past few days, prompting action by the FAA. However, the larger story is that Plant 42 – an offshoot of Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) housing top-secret defense projects from the likes of Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrup Grumman – has reportedly seen an uptick in “uncrewed aerial systems” (UAS) activities in recent months.
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As detailed in a report by The War Zone, Mary Kozaitis, Chief of Media Operations for the 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base, said the FAA restrictions were put in place “because of the increase in UAS activity.” Other US bases have experienced suspected drone activity too, including a notable situation at Langley AFB in December, raising concerns over espionage.
According to Kozaitis,
“We have observed multiple UAS [uncrewed aerial systems] activities over Plant 42 during the last few months. The number of UASs fluctuated and they ranged in size and configuration.”
The facility is home to Lockheed Martin’s ‘Skunk Works’, or Advanced Development Programs (ADP) division, as well as other highly advanced aerospace projects, including the B-21 Raider stealth bomber program.
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Videos of alleged UFO sightings in Palmdale began showing up on social media on August 17th, although some clips have since been revealed as hoaxes. Nonetheless, the number of unexplained drone incidents that have been occurring around US military installations is a cause for concern.
US Navy ships have also reportedly experienced drone swarms, raising the likelihood that all of this is state espionage activity. The government has generally sought to downplay any incidents and has remained predictably quiet about the recent Palmdale sightings.
Drone challenges
Drones have become something of a nuisance for airports since affordable commercial drones hit the market. There have been several instances of drone interference at major global airports, including a notable situation over the 2018 Christmas holidays at London Gatwick (LGW) that forced hundreds of flight cancelations. Dublin Airport has also suffered from repeated drone incursions, eventually looking to specialist anti-drone technology as a solution.
Photo: S.Galindo | Shutterstock
Wayward drones pose a threat to aircraft as they are landing or attempting to take-off, and there have been many near misses over the years. In one particularly close call, an Emirates Airbus A380 suffered damage to its right wing after striking a suspected drone while landing in Nice.