What's The Deal With The Drones Over Colorado/Nebraska?

Mystery drones (but not this one) are flying over Nebraska and Colorado
and everybody wants to know why. Image via the New York Times.

There are  apparently swarms of drones in recent weeks flying in a grid pattern over eastern Colorado and western Nebraska, and everybody is wondering why.

Understandably, it's freaking people out.

As the New York Times explains:

"The drone sightings started in northeast Colorado around mid-December and have only grown more widespread since then. 

Almost all the sightings have occurred between sunset and about 10 p.m. though (Palisade, Nebraska resident Missy) Blackman said sheahd seen them out later one night in Nebraska and, for the first time on Wednesday, during daylight hours.

She said she looked at them through binoculars and did not see any markings, just plain silver and white coloring.

Across the state line in Colorado, Captain Yowell tried to photograph the drones on Tuesday night with the camera he uses to document crime scenes, but came away without a clear image. He estimated that up to 30 drones were flying each night, though not all in the same place."

The New York Times reports it could just be some mapping operation by the oil and gas industry, but why do it at night?

Understandably, this whole thing has gotten people pretty freaked out.

Sheriff Todd Combs told the New York Times, "There are many theories about what is going on, but at this point, that's all they are....I think we are all feeling a little bit vulnerable due to the intrusion of our privacy that we enjoy inourrural community, but I don't have a solution."

I  had pretty much decided the mystery drone nerds are prankters just out to freak out as many people as possible. But who knows?  The  FAA, FBI, and local and regional law enforcement said they don't know what's going on.

However, there is tantalizing evidence this week from the Colorado Springs Gazette.

Says the Gazette:

"Air Force Global Strike Command, which is based in Louisiana, has confirmed that it conducts counterdrone exercises out of F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, where it is based.

The command oversees underground Minuteman silos spread across northeastern Colorado, southeastern Wyoming and western Nebraska, the area where the drones have been spotted nightly the past two weeks.

The Air Force isn't claiming ownership of the drones, but neither is it denying it.

F.E. Warren didn't respond to an emailed question Friday on whether its counter drone effort has anything to do with the recent sightings."

The Gazette says that maps of the areas where the drones were spotted is pocked with dots where drones are forbidden, with the best guess being these are spots were the military does not want drones over missile silos.

All this could be a test of technology that detects and tracks civilian drones, says the Gazette.

If all this is true, then I'm glad the military is trying to protect missile silos from drone attacks. On the other hand, if this is true, I'm vaguely disappointed.

Like most people these days, I kind of prefer the outlandish conspiracy theories, even though the truth is almost always much more bland that the wild stories people make up.