I think the answer says a lot indirectly. It seems fairly safe to say their purpose is classified, or more details would have been provided, because like you said this is obviously going to be unsatisfying. If it was something that Trump thought was dystopic and unnecessary (e.g. simply a psychological experiment to see how the population would respond) then he probably would have declassified and spilled the beans, if not only as a slight against Biden. So there's probably a reasonable enough justification for them, and a reasonable enough justification for keeping it classified.
And finally I know that around the time of the sightings certain radiological towers were showing significantly elevated radiation readings in the New Jersey area. In fact they still are [1], but substantially lower than when the drones were at their peak. So, to me, the most likely scenario is radiation related. Either carrying out research to more accurately model how how nuclear fallout might spread or perhaps working to refine the ability to remotely detect localized sources of significant radiation in case something like a 'suitcase bomb' or whatever ever came to fruition.
There were a bunch of similar studies carried out secretly in the past (for both biological and nuclear impact) like operation Sea Spray [2], but drones would enable far more effective modeling and tracking of the impact. The timing of this corresponding to increasingly hot conflict against the world's largest nuclear power would also further justify/explain such actions.
"We have met the enemy and they is us" except they weren't really an enemy or adversary and the hysteria in the wider press was .. unhelpful.
It could be said it was so unhelpful it was politically unstabilising. But I'd say that was kind of whiny: the election swung on many things, UFO wasn't the biggest one by far.
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[ 4.4 ms ] story [ 29.4 ms ] threadAnd finally I know that around the time of the sightings certain radiological towers were showing significantly elevated radiation readings in the New Jersey area. In fact they still are [1], but substantially lower than when the drones were at their peak. So, to me, the most likely scenario is radiation related. Either carrying out research to more accurately model how how nuclear fallout might spread or perhaps working to refine the ability to remotely detect localized sources of significant radiation in case something like a 'suitcase bomb' or whatever ever came to fruition.
There were a bunch of similar studies carried out secretly in the past (for both biological and nuclear impact) like operation Sea Spray [2], but drones would enable far more effective modeling and tracking of the impact. The timing of this corresponding to increasingly hot conflict against the world's largest nuclear power would also further justify/explain such actions.
[1] - https://www.gmcmap.com/
[2] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Sea-Spray
It could be said it was so unhelpful it was politically unstabilising. But I'd say that was kind of whiny: the election swung on many things, UFO wasn't the biggest one by far.