Over the last five years, a series of brazen incursions involving objects that exhibit seemingly highly advanced technology, have left local, state and federal authorities baffled. In short, an unknown actor appears to be sending a stark message: "We can operate drone-like vehicles in American skies, over critical infrastructure and hover even above sensitive military facilities with complete impunity.”

Most recently, military personnel, law enforcement officers and New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York residents observed what they described as mysterious low-flying drones over their respective states. According to New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, the objects are “very sophisticated… the minute you get eyes on them, they go dark.” Murphy is taking the situation “deadly seriously.”

The Pentagon strenuously denied that the objects are U.S. military assets and claimed to have “no evidence” they are from a foreign adversary.

The recent rash of sightings began on Nov. 13 with reports from security and police officers at Picatinny Arsenal, a military research center in New Jersey. The facility reported an additional 10 “confirmed” incidents over the ensuing weeks. A key New Jersey naval base, Naval Weapons Station Earle, reported “multiple” incursions over its airspace, including “several” over a 24-hour period.

Alarmingly, groups of these unknown objects have been observed over critical infrastructure, including reservoirs, bridges and nuclear power facilities. The mayor of West Milford, N.J., for example, reported 60 of them hovering above local reservoirs in one day.

During a New Jersey State Police briefing that drew more than 200 mayors, officials learned that the objects are approximately six feet in length, often operate in a coordinated manner and can loiter for as long as seven hours. Notably, even though New Jersey has “some of the best detection equipment in the........

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