Mysterious drones have been spotted flying over Langley Air Force Base, one of the most sensitive military areas in the U.S., sparking concern and confusion among defense officials.
The drones were seen appearing shortly after sunset over Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. The sightings reportedly began in December last year, with drones flying across the Chesapeake Bay and towards Naval Station Norfolk—the largest naval port in the world. This base is also home to the Navy’s elite SEAL Team Six, further intensifying security concerns.
The drones’ appearance near these critical defense sites raises serious national security questions, but by law, unless deemed an imminent threat, drones cannot be shot down near military bases. Despite ongoing investigations, officials have yet to determine whether these UAVs belong to civilian hobbyists or foreign actors like Russia or China.
The drones’ behavior—flying in coordinated patterns and utilizing unusual frequency bands not associated with common commercial drones—has led officials to suspect something more serious than recreational use. The Pentagon has not ruled out the possibility of foreign interference but has yet to identify the operators or their motives.
Langley is home to advanced F-22 Raptors, some of the U.S.’s most powerful stealth fighter jets. These jets have played crucial roles in past defense missions, such as the February 2023 incident in which an F-22 from Langley shot down a Chinese spy balloon over South Carolina. Given the base’s strategic importance, the presence of unidentified drones is particularly alarming, prompting a temporary halt to night-time training missions.
This recent activity comes at a time of increasing concern about drone usage near military and defense infrastructure. The ongoing war in Ukraine has shown how drones are being adapted for various military purposes, from reconnaissance to delivering explosives. As a result, militaries around the world are paying closer attention to the evolving capabilities of drones and how best to counter them.
Further complicating the situation is the fact that drones have been used for espionage in the past. In July, Chinese graduate student Fengyun Shi pleaded guilty to violating the Espionage Act for using a drone to photograph classified U.S. Navy ships at shipyards in Virginia. Shi was arrested attempting to flee to China after capturing images of next-generation aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines, both of which contain sensitive, classified components.
