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- Drone sightings have been reported near Hill Air Force Base recently.
- No operational impact or security risks have been identified, according to base officials.
- Authorities are monitoring the situation and urge reporting of any suspicious drone activity.
OGDEN — Hill Air Force Base officials said Monday there have been recent drone sightings close to the base, amid numerous mysterious drones being reported on the East Coast.
The unmanned flying objects have been seen over New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, even shutting down Wright-Patterson Air Force Base's airspace in Ohio, according to TV station WCPO. White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Monday there have not been any public safety or national security risks from the sightings, the Associated Press reports.
Monday night, the Department of Homeland Security issued a joint statement alongside the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Defense, saying the FBI received more than 5,000 drone sighting tips in the last few weeks, generating around 100 leads.
"We have sent advanced detection technology to the region. And we have sent trained visual observers," they said.
"We can confirm that unmanned aerial systems were spotted in the vicinity of (Hill Air Force Base) recently," said spokesperson Kendahl Johnson. "To date, unmanned aerial systems have not impacted (Hill Air Force Base) operations, and all appropriate measures are being taken to safeguard (Hill) personnel, assets and infrastructure."
No additional details about the number of drones, when these sightings occurred, or what was done about them were released.
In the joint statement Monday night, officials said "such sightings near or over (Department of Defense) installations are not new," and they take "unauthorized access over its airspace seriously."
The various national agencies reported in their joint statement that "sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones. We have not identified anything anomalous and do not assess the activity to date to present a national security or public safety risk."
A Fruit Heights resident, Kristen Brinkman, told KSL.com she saw around 10 of what she believed were drones over the base Sunday night about 9:30 p.m. "Initially, I was like — oh maybe it's Starlink," she said, "but it was way too close ... and brighter than anything I've ever seen."
Living right next to base, she is used to seeing planes and helicopters going in and out in the exact location she saw the objects, she says. "They didn't really flash," Brinkman said. "Just a super strong light," that would one-by-one go black. Over time, she said, "They just disappeared into thin air," hovering and moving slightly.
They were of different size but much too big to be a hobby drone, in Brinkman's opinion. One flew by over her house while her window was open, she said, and it was "pretty quiet," not like the planes she is used to.
Small unmanned aircraft use is never allowed on or over the military base, according to Hill's website. "Unidentified drone swarms have recently been observed over several U.S. military bases," a press release issued last Tuesday said. "The use of personal drones on base poses a significant hazard to aircraft."
Hill Air Force Base's airspace is adjacent to Ogden Regional Airport and Salt Lake City International Airport's arrival and departure corridors and is also a hub for helicopter medical evacuation flights for five area hospitals and U.S. Forest Service operations during fire season, officials say.
The base uses a "5 mile rule," according to Hill's website, where drone operators need prior authorization to fly within 5 miles of the installation, have to fly between sunrise and sunset and operate below 300 feet.
"We continue to monitor the airspace and are working with local authorities to track the unmanned aerial systems. To safeguard operational security, we do not discuss specific force protection measures; however, we retain the right to protect our installations," Johnson said.
Officials are requesting anyone who sees "anything suspicious, to include unmanned aerial system activity" to contact local police or Hill's security forces.
