Unidentified drones fly over Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, for about 17 days
December 2023 · Langley Air Force Base, Hampton, Virginia · Sighting · Secondary sources only
Langley first saw unmanned aircraft over the base on the evening of 6 December 2023, and incursions continued through the month. The number of drones varied. Langley said none appeared hostile, notified the FAA and worked with local law enforcement, and NORAD/NORTHCOM said it was coordinating with the FBI. Plane spotters noticed unusual activity that month, including F-16 patrols and a NASA WB-57F orbiting the base. The Wall Street Journal reported that drones were also seen over Naval Station Norfolk.
Why it matters (3/5)
Repeated, unexplained incursions at a major U.S. air base, first made public in 2024.
Caveats
Who flew the drones, and why, is unknown, and the Pentagon could not say whether they were commercial, hobbyist or intelligence-gathering. The NASA aircraft was said to be supporting a SpaceX resupply recovery, and the link between it and the drones is not established. The base commander could shoot down drones deemed a threat, but the dates and count of days come from press reports, not a published base record. These are drones, not craft of unknown type, and are included as unidentified aerial incursions.
Sources
- Mysterious Drones Swarmed Langley AFB For Weeks (The War Zone), context
- The Pentagon confirmed a swarm of drones violated Langley airspace (WHRO Public Media), context
- 2024 United States drone sightings (Wikipedia), context