Former F-18 U.S. Navy fighter pilot Lt. Ryan Graves expressed skepticism over the involvement of commercial contractors in recent drone sightings around New Jersey. On “The Story” with Martha MacCallum, Graves stated that “based on my analysis of the situation and the statements made by the Pentagon and the legislative branch, I cannot believe that this is our own government acting in such confusion. God help us if so.”
Graves also dismissed the idea of commercial contractors being involved, saying, “there’s zero benefit, all risk for operating these things so close to the ground, especially if it’s some type of classified equipment.”
Instead, Graves concluded that the mystery lies with “foreign adversaries or something else.” He added that the reported drone sightings are not limited to just people on the ground, as his non-profit organization, Americans for Safe Aerospace, has received reports from commercial pilots, military pilots, and veterans who have also seen the drones at altitude.
Graves urged the government to deploy the “full force” of the government and Pentagon to determine the nature of the objects and suggest that what is happening is “not a simple problem” and requires a “better coordinated response”. He also expressed frustration with the lack of transparency and coordination among different branches of government, saying that “it seems like the different branches of the government aren’t communicating very well on this problem.”
