U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) said ‘maximum transparency” from the Biden administration is critical after the U.S. military shot down yet another unidentified flying object over the weekend — this time near Wisconsin airspace.
The incident marked the fourth aerial vessel struck down over North American airspace since Feb. 4, when U.S. fighter jets liquidated a suspected Chinese spy balloon. That vessel had been floating over U.S. territory for days before the Biden administration finally destroyed it amid growing criticism.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the latest object entering U.S. airspace posed a “very real” threat to air traffic.
The Department of Defense alerted lawmakers to the latest encounter with a “foreign object” after it was shot down.
“I appreciate DoD’s notification to my office of the actions they took in downing yet another ‘foreign object’ over Lake Huron,” Johnson said in a statement. “Maximum transparency on what they learn about these objects is essential. We need to preemptively take the necessary steps to keep our nation safe.”
Johnson serves on the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, a committee he chaired from 2015-2021.
Transparency has been a problem with the White House.
The invasion of unidentified flying objects is raising concerns — and lots of speculation.
Observers first spotted the latest object on Saturday over Montana. Military officials had a difficult time tracking the aircraft, which showed up and then disappeared on radar. Then, it reappeared Sunday over Montana, then Wisconsin and Michigan. Upon visual confirmation, military officials ordered the object shot down over Lake Huron.
As the New York Times reported Monday, Pentagon and intelligence officials are trying to make sense of three unidentified flying objects over the United States and Canda that U.S. fighter jets shot down with missiles on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The F-16s involved in Sunday’s mission were based at Madison’s Truax Field, but flown by members of the Minnesota National Guard’s 148th Fighter Wing.
“The latest turn in the aerial show taking place in the skies above North America comes after a helter-skelter weekend involving what at times seemed like an invasion of unidentified flying objects,” The Times reported.
U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MI-01) questioned the Biden administration’s commitment to transparency. The UFOs have raised concerns about a widening threat of Chinese spy craft, among other worries.
“The American people deserve far more answers than we have,” Bergman said in a tweet.
U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI-08), agreed, saying America needs more answers from the Pentagon, and from President Joe Biden.
“There are times to err on the side of secrecy in national security operations. But when our fighter pilots are shooting down presumably hostile aerial objects all across America, it’s long past time for transparency,” said Gallagher, who chairs the House’s newly formed Committee on China. “Where are these UAPs (unidentified anomalous phenomena) coming from? What is their purpose? Are they related to the CCP’s spy balloon or other CCP-directed espionage programs?”
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M.D. Kittle is the National Political Editor for The Star News Network.
Photo “Ron Johnson” by Gage Skidmore. CC BY-SA 2.0. Background Photo “U.S. Capitol” by Trev Adams.
