Mysterious Drones in New Jersey, Iran's Navy, and Ukraine

Congressman Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ) suggested that an Iranian drone carrier might be operating near the eastern seaboard and launching drones. However, the Pentagon has dismissed this theory, citing a lack of credible evidence. 

The FBI and Homeland Security have attributed the sightings to manned aircraft operating lawfully and clarified that no confirmed drone activity has occurred in restricted airspace.

The “mothership” in question is the Shahid Bagheri, a converted container ship now part of Iran’s growing drone fleet. Satellite imagery analyzed by Business Insider places the vessel firmly in the Persian Gulf—far beyond the operational range needed to deploy drones capable of reaching US airspace. 

The Shahid Bagheri is part of Iran’s broader effort to retrofit commercial vessels into mobile drone platforms, alongside the Shahid Mahdavi and Shahid Roudaki. These ships can launch surveillance UAVs like the Mohajer and Shahed series and combat drones designed for precision strikes. 

They are also believed to carry anti-ship missiles, radar systems, and electronic warfare equipment, enhancing their versatility as tools for power projection within regional waters.

Yet, despite its ambitions, Iran’s navy power is questionable at best. The Gulf International Forum highlights that Iran’s reliance on swarming speedboats, retrofitted commercial vessels, and homegrown technologies exposes critical weaknesses. 

They warn that “overconfidence in indigenous products and an unwarranted belief in the infallibility of its defense architecture could lead to tactical and strategic miscalculation.”

When faced with a technologically superior adversary like the United States—whose fleet boasts 14 state-of-the-art aircraft carriers—Iran’s naval forces would stand little chance. Their limitations would leave them outmatched and ineffective in a conventional conflict.

While Iran’s conventional navy operates far from US shores, concerns over mysterious drones have highlighted anxieties closer to home. Federal authorities have downplayed the alarms, yet the growing focus on drones is not unwarranted; elsewhere, their disruptive potential is undeniable.

In Ukraine, Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones have become a fixture of the battlefield, used by Russia to target infrastructure and overwhelm air defenses. The lessons from Ukraine, where low-cost drones have forced innovative responses under fire, highlight how unmanned systems can reshape modern warfare, even against advanced militaries.

While Iran’s ability to strike the United States remains virtually nonexistent, Ukraine’s experience offers important context should such a drone threat ever materialize. Ukrainian defenses have demonstrated that persistent, low-cost drone attacks can be mitigated through layered systems, electronic warfare, and rapid adaptation.