The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) abruptly canceled a "national defense airspace" over parts of Lake Michigan, the latest aviation closure amid reports of "objects" being shot down.
According to the FAA, the area was closed to allow the U.S. Military to examine a "potential contact" that was then determined not to be a threat, lifting restrictions.
"Pilots who do not adhere to the following [procedure] may be intercepted, detained, and interviewed by law enforcement or security personnel," the FAA wrote in an announcement on Sunday.
NOW: E-3 Sentry currently heading towards Lake Michigan.
— Upward News (@UpwardNewsHQ) February 12, 2023
USAF KC-135 is still active, likely dragging fighters. pic.twitter.com/2b656ceLV9
On Saturday, part of Montana's airspace was shut down for "national defense purposes," only for it to be reopened a few hours later. The North American Aerospace Defense Command said that the object was only a radar anomaly.
"I am in constant communication with NORCOM (sic), 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," Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont) said in a statement. "Those aircraft did not identify any object to correlate to the radar hits. NORAD will continue to monitor the situation."
The U.S. has shot down three aircraft over the country in the last week. The first was a Chinese spy balloon that was shot down over the coast of South Carolina in early February. The second and third objects have not been confirmed but are also suspected to be Chinese surveillance balloons, which were shot down in Alaska and Canada.