The Federal Aviation Administration announced a temporary flying restriction over a region of Montana, temporarily designating the area as “national defense airspace.”
At 3:20 p.m. local time, the FAA sent out a Notice to Air Missions covering airspace near Havre, Montana. After nearly an hour, the TFR was removed.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command and the U.S. Northern Command published a statement Saturday evening blaming the problem on a “radar anomaly.”
“NORAD identified a radar oddity and dispatched fighter planes to investigate,” according to a news statement from the agency.
“Those aircraft did not detect any object to link with the radar hits,” the agency said, adding that it would “continue watching the situation.”
Pilots who breached the TFR “may be stopped, detained, and interrogated by law enforcement,” according to the NOTAM, as well as face a slew of civil and criminal penalties and prosecutions.
“I’ve been warning about the possibility of a high-altitude nuclear bomb for years,” Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) told Fox News Channel’s Maria Bartiromo on Sunday morning.
Johnson was speaking about two high-altitude balloons taken down by American fighter planes over Alaska and Canada, as well as another balloon shot down earlier this week off the coast of South Carolina.
“It might generate an electromagnetic pulse that destroys our devices. A geomagnetic disturbance might also cause the same effect,” Johnson stated.
“We’re not prepared for this…we don’t have the A-team on the pitch right now, which should worry Americans.”
Following the “radar anomaly” that led to the Saturday airspace restriction, Montana politicians made public remarks right away.
“I am aware of the object in Montana airspace and am in close contact with senior DOD and Administration officials,” said Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) immediately after the FAA issued the TFR.
“I am keeping a close eye on the issue and receiving regular information. I will continue to press for answers for the American people,” Tester added.
Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.) agreed with his colleague.
“I’m in close communication with the Pentagon about the object in Montana’s airspace and will receive regular updates,” Daines tweeted.
“Montanans are still puzzled about the Chinese surveillance balloon that sailed over our state last week. I will continue to press for answers about these incursions into U.S. airspace,” Daines went on to say.
Rep. Matt Rosendale also resorted to Twitter to keep Montanans and other Americans informed of the continued aircraft ban. The Department of Defense, according to Rosendale, intended to restart its attempts to handle the “object” in the light of day.
“Airspace is blocked owing to an object that might interfere with commercial flight travel – in the morning, the DOD will begin attempts to observe and ground the object,” the Congressman stated.
I AM IMPRESSED WITH THE ACTIONS THAT WENT ON AND WHAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE THINK!!!
I DO AGREE AND HOPE THIS CONTINUES…..
NANCY LENZ