A viral video shared on X purports to show a drone recently flying over New Jersey.

🛸 UAP [Drone] in New Jersey this evening – December 15, 2024

( #OVNI #UAP #UFO #UAPx #UFOx #UAPTwitter #UFOTwitter #OEAV #OSNI #PAN #UFOSightings #Science #uso #USOs #不明飛行物 #ユーフォー #Vimana #UAPFlap2024 ) pic.twitter.com/In37cSK8CL

— Tio Red Octopus🐙 W. κρυπτός 🜃Φ🌹🇵🇸𓂀 🪬 (@Gandalf_ElPulpo) December 16, 2024

Verdict: False

The claim is false, as the video was originally shared on YouTube in 2008 and shows a European Black Project Aircraft.

Fact Check:

Recent drone sightings in the U.S. have reportedly occurred at 17 military bases next to Chinese-owned farmland, according to the New York Post. Drones have been spotted near military bases or installations in multiple states, including California and Florida, the outlet reported.

The X video, which has amassed over 400,000 views as of writing, purports to show a drone recently flying over New Jersey. In the video, what appears to be a small aircraft can be seen flying through the night sky.

“UAP [Drone] in New Jersey this evening – December 15, 2024,” the video’s caption reads.

The claim is false. The video was originally shared on YouTube in 2008 and shows a European Black Project Aircraft. Likewise, another iteration of the video, titled “UFO Top Secret Black Project,” was shared on the platform in 2009. Comments posted in response to the 2009 video indicate it is being used as a “fake video” claiming to show drone sightings in New Jersey in 2024.

In addition, Check Your Fact did not find the viral X video featured in any credible news reports about recent drone sightings in New Jersey. Actually, the opposite is true. On Dec. 17, India Today debunked the claim, reporting the clip predated the recent drone sightings and showed a European Black Project Aircraft. (RELATED: Does This Image Show One Of The Drones Spotted In New Jersey In A Truck Bed?)

According to Wikipedia, a black project is an “informal term used to describe a highly classified, top-secret military or defense project that is not publicly acknowledged by [the] government, military personnel, or contractors.” Besides the U.S., countries including the U.K., China, North Korea, and Russia are listed as having black projects via the same Wikipedia entry.