A pair of F-22 stealth fighters fly over Langley Air Force Base in Virginia (Photo: US Air Force).
Langley Air Force Base, located in one of the most strategic areas in the US, faced a mysterious wave of UAV intrusions throughout December last year.
The War Zone has been investigating the incident for weeks. Last weekend, the US Air Force confirmed that the intrusions had occurred and that they were looking into the matter.
The mysterious UAV infiltration shows the growing threat of small, cheap, but dangerous UAVs both on and off the battlefield.
"We first detected the UAVs on the evening of December 6 and they have been making incursions throughout December 2023," a Langley Air Force Base spokesperson said. "The number and size of UAVs in each incursion varied. None of the incursions showed signs of hostile activity, but anything flying in restricted airspace can pose a threat to the safety of flights on base."
The official confirmed that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was aware of the mysterious intrusions. He did not provide further details about the incident for security reasons, but affirmed that the Air Force would take necessary measures and cooperate with relevant local and federal agencies.
Langley Base is strategically located in Virginia, near important US facilities (Photo: Research Gate).
Langley, Virginia, is one of the few bases that operates F-22 stealth fighters. The base plays a key role in supporting the operations of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and the U.S. Northern Command, two units tasked with defending the U.S. mainland.
Langley is located in the Newport News area, which is home to important U.S. commercial and naval shipbuilding facilities. The base is close to where about half of the U.S. aircraft carrier fleet is based, just to the southeast. A host of other military facilities are also scattered throughout the wider region.
According to observers, the mysterious intrusion of UAVs into Langley seems to have caused a negative reaction within the US military. This is an important air base tasked with protecting US airspace, but the continuous intrusion of UAVs raises questions about potential security threats in the future.
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