Drone activity prompted officials to close the airspace above one of the United States’ most critical Air Force bases for nearly four hours late Friday and early Saturday, according to a spokesperson for the base and a Notice to Airmen issued on a federal website. Bob Purtiman, the chief of public affairs for the 88th Air Base Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, disclosed that the airspace was restricted for about four hours from late Friday into early Saturday as authorities monitored the situation, as reported by CNN affiliate WHIO. The drones, referred to as “small unmanned aerial systems,” were under surveillance by base units, Purtiman informed WHIO. He stated, “To date, installation leadership has confirmed that none of the intrusions affected base residents, facilities, or assets.”
The airspace closure was initially disclosed by The War Zone on Sunday. In an audio recording from the incident at the Wright-Patterson air traffic control tower posted on YouTube by The War Zone, a controller instructs an aircraft identified as “MedFlight 8” to “exercise extreme caution due to heavy UAS activity on the base.” UAS stands for “unmanned aircraft system.” The controller can be heard in the audio, which was shared by a reader according to the outlet, indicating that security forces were managing the situation and informing the flight that the base’s class D airspace – typically the area around an airport up to an altitude of 2,500 feet – would be closed.
CNN reached out to the Air Force for a statement but did not receive an immediate response. The events at Wright-Patterson come amid a series of mysterious drone sightings, predominantly in the Northeast, causing concern among residents and local officials. Drone sightings have also been reported near other military installations such as Picatinny Arsenal and Naval Weapons Station Earle in New Jersey, as well as critical infrastructure like reservoirs. Similar drone activity near US military sites has been observed overseas, with British air bases utilized by the US Air Force reporting drone incursions in November. Officials verified that these intrusions did not impact residents or critical infrastructure, and an investigation into their source is ongoing.
Authorities have advised the public to remain calm, emphasizing that there is no evidence indicating these sightings pose a security threat. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, situated approximately five miles outside Dayton, is home to vital US Air Force commands, including the Air Force Research Lab, which focuses on countering threats posed by technological advancements. The base is also the headquarters of Air Force Materiel Command, responsible for research, development, testing, evaluation, acquisition management services, and logistics support essential for maintaining Air Force weapon systems readiness for combat. Additionally, Wright-Patterson houses the National Air and Space Intelligence Center, tasked with detecting and characterizing air, space, missile, and cyber threats and offering unique collection, exploitation, and analytic capabilities. The base is also occupied by the headquarters of the 655th Intelligence, Surveillance and Recon
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is home to some of the most significant aircraft in history, such as Bockscar, the B-29 bomber responsible for dropping the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. Additionally, the base holds historic importance for being the location of the 1995 peace talks that led to the Dayton Peace Accords between Yugoslavia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Croatia, ending a prolonged conflict in Bosnia. Spread over 8,000 acres, Wright-Patterson stands as one of the largest bases under the Air Force’s purview globally, employing over 38,000 military personnel, civilians, and contractors. It proudly holds the title of the largest single-site employer in the state of Ohio, according to information available on the base’s official website.
Authorities emphasize the importance of reporting any suspicious drone activities to local law enforcement or security personnel. The prevalence of drone-related incidents has drawn significant media attention, leading former FBI Supervisory Special Agent Tom Adams to suggest to CNN that the recent surge in sightings could be partly attributed to copycat behavior stemming from increased scrutiny and media coverage. “I think we’re looking at a few different things. First, I do believe that there are probably some legitimate visual drone sightings by alert residents and law enforcement in New Jersey,” Adams remarked during an interview on Friday.
Former chief of the FBI counter-drone unit, Rob D’Amico, shared insights with CNN, indicating that over 90% of reported drone sightings are likely misidentifications of manned aircraft or natural objects. The spike in drone activity has resulted in confusion and exposed critical vulnerabilities in airspace security. D’Amico highlighted the emerging trend of individuals flying drones either to cause disruption or to search for lost drones, emphasizing the importance of increased transparency in such situations. “What you’re now seeing is people are starting to fly drones … to either make more chaos or to look for their own drones,” D’Amico observed. “They have to start telling the people and other government officials what they’re actually doing, what they’re seeing… the more transparency.”
Both the Department of Homeland Security and local law enforcement agencies are actively investigating the reported drone sightings to ascertain the nature and intent behind the observed aircraft.
