'National Defense Airspace' Declared in American Skies After New Object Is Sighted
Air traffic over a portion of Lake Michigan was canceled by the federal government early Sunday due to the presence of an unidentified flying object.
Specifically, the Federal Aviation Administration called for a “national defense airspace” over the area, according to Fox News.
A “national defense airspace” can be declared by the FAA in response to hazardous conditions, events or other special circumstances.
Later on Sunday, the FAA lifted its ban on air travel, though the administration has yet to confirm why the ban was implemented in the first place, Fox News reported.
When the ban was first put into place, the FAA put out a warning to all pilots in the area.
“PILOTS WHO DO NOT ADHERE TO THE FOLLOWING PROC MAY BE INTERCEPTED, DETAINED AND INTERVIEWED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT/ SECURITY PERSONNEL,” the FAA warning stated.
Penalties for those refusing to comply with the order included inspection of flying certification, criminal charges and even the use of deadly force, the warning stated.
On Saturday, the FAA established a similar ban over an area in Montana in order to “support Department of Defense activities,” the administration told Fox News.
This ban, too, was lifted shortly thereafter on Saturday.
Shortly before Saturday’s ban on Montana travel was lifted, however, Montana Republican Rep. Matt Rosendale began commenting on the situation on Twitter.
According to Rosendale, Saturday’s ban was also in response to an unidentified flying object and the FAA eventually released a statement declaring it had been a “radar anomaly,” according to the Washington Examiner.
I am in direct contact with NORCOM and monitoring the latest issue over Havre and the northern border. Airspace is closed due to an object that could interfere with commercial air traffic — the DOD will resume efforts to observe and ground the object in the morning.
— Matt Rosendale (@RepRosendale) February 12, 2023
“I am in direct contact with NORCOM and monitoring the latest issue over Havre and the northern border. Airspace is closed due to an object that could interfere with commercial air traffic — the DOD will resume efforts to observe and ground the object in the morning,” Rosendale later tweeted.
On Sunday, Rosendale published a follow-up tweet that appeared to refer to Saturday’s event, though he does not say so explicitly. In it, he said that the incident did indeed involve an actual object, not a radar anomaly.
I am in constant communication with NORCOM and they have just advised me that they have confidence there IS an object and it WAS NOT an anomaly. I am waiting now to receive visual confirmation. Our nation’s security is my priority.
— Matt Rosendale (@RepRosendale) February 12, 2023
“I am in constant communication with NORCOM and they have just advised me that they have confidence there IS an object and it WAS NOT an anomaly. I am waiting now to receive visual confirmation. Our nation’s security is my priority,” Rosendale tweeted Sunday.
It remains unclear if Saturday and Sunday’s incidents were at all related.
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