The U.S. Air Force's Plant 42 in California, America's premier
hub for advanced aerospace development work, especially
highly classified military programs, has seen a wave of mysterious drone incursions in recent months.
The incidents have now become serious enough to prompt the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to impose new, if temporary flight restrictions around the sprawling high-security facility. The Air Force acknowledged these incidents in response to our questions about purported sightings of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) in the area which became viral on social media over the weekend and that local law enforcement appears to have received no reports about.
Palmdale Regional Airport shares the runways with Plant 42, which is
home to Lockheed Martin's famed Skunk Works advanced projects division, as well as similar arms of both Northrop Grumman and Boeing. NASA also has a flight testing center there. As a prime example of the work that goes on at Plant 42, it is where Northrop Grumman has been building the U.S. Air Force's
new B-21 Raider stealth bombers. America's most sensitive and 'bleeding edge' aerospace weaponry emerges from this facility, so security at the installation, which is located in a relatively urban area, is taken very seriously.
"We have observed multiple UAS [uncrewed aerial systems] activities over Plant 42 during the last few months. The number of UASs fluctuated and they ranged in size and configuration," Mary Kozaitis, Chief of Media Operations for the 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base, told
The War Zone. "The FAA was made aware of the incursions and Edwards continues to monitor the air space to ensure the safety of base personnel, facilities, and assets. As a reminder to drone enthusiasts, overflight of Plant 42 is strictly prohibited and may result in criminal prosecution, fines, and loss of operator privileges."
Comment: More reporting on the incident at the time: