General Discussion

Because it is classified.

Of course the USAF is going to run experimental tests over open water in isolated places.

I grew up on USAF military bases as a kid and civilian housing near the bases.
Small working bases in wartime. And large think tank type research military bases
in nearby civilian housing during peacetime.

We would see experimental aircraft fly over head. In civilian air space.

Everyone would go out and look at them. We know what is experimental
because we grew up on flight lines looking at airplanes take off and land all day long.
We would go ask the military men what the heck we were looking at.
Sometimes they would tell us, sometimes they wouldn't.

I remember clearly one flew over our street at night in the mid/late 1960s.
Everyone ran out to look at it, all the neighbors.

It was so strange, it flew like a small helicopter, but the lights were all wrong.
And there was no propellor on top. The lights were very bright and all over the craft, blinking
and various colors. It just hung in the air, stationary. Please note that this was in civilian airspace,
close to a large military research facility.

Weirdest damn thing any of us had ever seen. We begged the active duty military officer
friends to tell us what it was. We got some BS answer which we were used to as military kids.
You don't get a straight answer when you ask questions that are classified.

I now think we were looking at drone experiements which were highly classified.

But yes I agree, this current event looks weather related..