Federal authorities temporarily shut down the airspace over Montana recently, with the Department of Defense sending a fighter jet to investigate an anomaly that was spotted on the radar.
BREAKING: Montana airspace closed. The FAA issued a notice barring flight in an area about 50 by 50 nautical miles around Havre, Montana. FAA declined to comment why pic.twitter.com/oNTG4vrR1r
— Daniel Burbank (@DanielBurbankTV) February 12, 2023
According to the New York Post, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) sent a notice at about 5:30 p.m. on Saturday banning flights in an area about 50 by 50 nautical miles around Havre, Montana, near the Canadian border. The FAA classified the affected area as “national defense airspace” during the shutdown.
New: @FAANews says the Montana airspace reopened pic.twitter.com/yLbs7zzmBn
— David Shepardson (@davidshepardson) February 12, 2023
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) confirmed in a statement that the FAA shut down the central Montana airspace after NORAD detected a radar anomaly. NORAD revealed that the jet that was sent to investigate the anomaly did not find any object to correlate with the radar hits.
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
However, Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) said he was in contact with the U.S. Northern Command (NORCOM) and that he was told that the authorities are confident that there is an object and not just an 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
Sen Jon Tester (D-MT), whose home state is below the airspace, echoed Rosendale’s sentiments. Tester told CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday that there may still be something in the airspace.
Tester added that the pilot sent to investigate the anomaly could have missed it because it was too dark to draw a definitive conclusion.
“I’m sure as we speak it’s being checked out right now,” Tester said.
The incident occurred after a U.S. military jet shut down an unidentified airborne object over Canada’s Yukon Territory on Saturday. The incident forced Canadian authorities to close the airspace over parts of Yukon at around 4:50 p.m.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed the news in a tweet, adding that Canadian and U.S. aircraft were scrambled and a U.S. F-22 jet successfully fired at the object.
I ordered the take down of an unidentified object that violated Canadian airspace. @NORADCommand shot down the object over the Yukon. Canadian and U.S. aircraft were scrambled, and a U.S. F-22 successfully fired at the object.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) February 11, 2023
Trudeau, who spoke with President Joe Biden about the object, revealed that Canadian forces are working to recover and analyze the wreckage of the object.
