This week’s “Around the Commercial Drone Industry” news round-up looks at the mysterious drones that have appeared in the skies above New Jersey, 

What’s Going on With Those Drones Over New Jersey?

Since the middle of November, many people have reported seeing what appear to be drones in the sky during the late night hours (not during the day) over New Jersey and other states in the northeastern US, and local and federal officials have, so far, been unable to identify the objects with any certainty.

According to reporting by NBC News, “the drones appear to be commercial-grade, not recreational, and could be up to 6 feet in diameter.” Some have suggested that the drones are being operated by the US military or Secret Service, but officials have stated that they are not involved. Others, point out that authorized commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and conventional crewed aircraft appear in the night sky all the time.

Regardless, as an NPR report stated, Federal authorities have “repeated assurances that the drones are not a security threat. But they still don't know where they came from or who is responsible.” Also, “some state and federal officials called for Congress to pass expanded legislation that would give federal authorities greater resources to mitigate risks from drones.”

As officials continue to investigate the mysterious flying objects, other drone sightings have been making news. The Associated Press reports that Boston police have arrested two men for flying an uncrewed vehicle close to that city’s Logan Airport, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio was closed last Friday and Saturday because of unauthorized drone flights, and mysterious drones have been recently spotted over Virginia and Cape Cod.

Record-Breaking UAV Light Show

Drone light show leader Sky Elements recently created the largest drone show to have ever flown in the US—and set a Guinness World Record in the process. Using nearly 5,000 drones, the company displayed holiday scenes in the sky, including a Thanksgiving turkey, a “winter wonderland” scene, and a gingerbread village.

You can watch the show below:

Amazon Heats Up Drone Delivery Race

Retail giant Amazon is ramping up its drone delivery offerings—and posing a challenge to Walmart. A report from PYMNTS states that “Amazon is testing 15-minute grocery delivery in India as part of its push into the ‘quick commerce’ sector, which is expected to surpass $6 billion in annual sales this year.” The move poses a challenge “rivals like Walmart-backed Flipkart and Reliance, both of which have launched similar services.” Amazon hopes to deliver 500 million packages by drone each year by the end of the decade.