Unidentified drones were spotted hovering over Fort McNair, a Washington, D.C. military base which houses top Trump administration officials, the latest in a string of strange drone sightings near military sites worldwide.
Officials reportedly noticed several unidentified drones near the base earlier this month, prompting authorities to tighten security around the facility. The incident also sparked a White House meeting to discuss the possible origins of the drones and a response.
The Washington Post was the first to report the incident.
Fort McNair houses key administration officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Fort McNair said it was aware of the reported sighting and is investigating the incident.
“We are working with our law enforcement and interagency partners to monitor and investigate the reported sightings,” the base said in a statement. “Our top priority is the safety of our service members and civilian personnel that work and live on the base. Currently, there is no credible threat to Fort McNair, but we will continue to monitor the situation and adjust force protection measures as needed.”
The drone sightings come as U.S. security forces work to tighten oversight in sensitive areas amid ongoing military operations against Iran. U.S. military bases, including Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey and MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, have raised their force protection levels in recent days.
Sightings of mysterious drones around key U.S. military installations at home and abroad have become more prominent in recent years.
In late 2024, mysterious drones were spotted near three military bases in England that house American forces. U.S. Air Forces Europe said the drones were seen near the bases RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall and RAF Feltwell. U.S. Air Force personnel operate out of each location, and the American detachments there are a key piece of U.S. combat capabilities in Europe.
Supposed drone sightings also plagued military installations on the U.S. East coast in 2024, with sightings reported over New Jersey’s Picatinny Arsenal and Naval Weapons Station Earle.
• Ben Wolfgang contributed to this report.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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