New Documents Highlight Drone Sightings Near Nuclear Facilities

January 8, 2025

A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by The Black Vault on November 7, 2024, with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, resulted in the release of records highlighting drone incursions over sensitive nuclear installations. The request, identified as FOIA-2025-000142, sought all materials and communications shared with the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) from June 2022 through the end of 2024.

While UFO enthusiasts may have hoped for evidence of extraordinary phenomena, the documents largely revolve around repeated sightings of drones near sensitive nuclear installations.

Nonetheless, these incidents provide an intriguing insight into ongoing challenges relating to these events.

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The released materials include several detailed reports from 2022-2024, highlighting a surge of drone-related activity near nuclear facilities. The records reveal a pattern of sightings, as documented by the NRC, which were then sent to AARO to add to their yearly reports.

Here are just some of those incidents:

These records illustrate the growing amount of drone activity over critical infrastructure. Although the released documents primarily focus on drone sightings, they shed light on the broader scope of AARO’s work in addressing potential aerial threats—whether they stem from benign curiosity, commercial misuse, or nefarious intent.

While these incidents released by the NRC do not reveal any groundbreaking revelations about unidentified aerial phenomena, they underscore the critical need to address drone incursions at sensitive sites. This concern was magnified by the December 2024 drone sightings over the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station in New Jersey, along with other sightings at Salem and Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Stations.

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