US military shot down party balloon near El Paso after drone suspicion, official says
This affects the entire country.
A U.S. official confirmed to Fox News that the U.S. military earlier this week shot down what was later determined to be a party balloon near El Paso, Texas, after initially assessing it as a possible foreign drone.
The misidentification eventually led to a total shutdown of airspace around the El Paso, Texas, airport.
A separate U.S. administration official had told Fox News that Mexican cartel drones breached U.S. airspace near El Paso, Texas, and that counter-drone measures were taken to disable them.
The Pentagon has been testing out new counter-drone technology, including a high-energy laser, near the Army base at Fort Bliss, Texas. That laser was used to shoot down what appeared to be foreign drones — and was later identified as a balloon — prompting the airspace closure by the FAA, an official told Fox. It's unclear whether the cartel drones were related.
AMERICA'S SKIES ARE WIDE OPEN TO NATIONAL SECURITY THREATS, DRONE EXPERT WARNS: 'WE HAVE NO AWARENESS'
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her government has no information indicating drone activity along the U.S.-Mexico border following a temporary airspace restriction in Texas that U.S. officials linked to counter-drone measures.
"We have no information indicating drone activity along the border. If the FAA or any U.S. government agency has relevant information, they can ask directly the Government of Mexico," she said in a news conference Wednesday.
She said Mexican airspace had not been closed.
"We will look into the specific reasons behind the temporary closure."
"There’s no place for speculation. We will wait for the information and continue to uphold what we have consistently maintained: permanent, open communication."
The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily restricted flights in and out of El Paso International Airport for what it described as "special security reasons" Wednesday morning. The restriction initially was valid for 10 days, through Feb. 20, an unusually lengthy timeframe for airspace limitations affecting a major commercial airport.
PENTAGON EXPLORING COUNTER-DRONE SYSTEMS TO PREVENT INCURSIONS OVER NATIONAL SECURITY FACILITIES
Temporary flight restrictions are typically used for presidential travel, emergency response operations or specific, time-limited national security events. It is uncommon for such restrictions to be issued near a busy border airport absent a significant security concern.
Shortly after the restriction was put in place, however, the FAA and the Department of War reopened the airspace and determined "there is no threat to commercial …
This affects the entire country.
A U.S. official confirmed to Fox News that the U.S. military earlier this week shot down what was later determined to be a party balloon near El Paso, Texas, after initially assessing it as a possible foreign drone.
The misidentification eventually led to a total shutdown of airspace around the El Paso, Texas, airport.
A separate U.S. administration official had told Fox News that Mexican cartel drones breached U.S. airspace near El Paso, Texas, and that counter-drone measures were taken to disable them.
The Pentagon has been testing out new counter-drone technology, including a high-energy laser, near the Army base at Fort Bliss, Texas. That laser was used to shoot down what appeared to be foreign drones — and was later identified as a balloon — prompting the airspace closure by the FAA, an official told Fox. It's unclear whether the cartel drones were related.
AMERICA'S SKIES ARE WIDE OPEN TO NATIONAL SECURITY THREATS, DRONE EXPERT WARNS: 'WE HAVE NO AWARENESS'
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her government has no information indicating drone activity along the U.S.-Mexico border following a temporary airspace restriction in Texas that U.S. officials linked to counter-drone measures.
"We have no information indicating drone activity along the border. If the FAA or any U.S. government agency has relevant information, they can ask directly the Government of Mexico," she said in a news conference Wednesday.
She said Mexican airspace had not been closed.
"We will look into the specific reasons behind the temporary closure."
"There’s no place for speculation. We will wait for the information and continue to uphold what we have consistently maintained: permanent, open communication."
The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily restricted flights in and out of El Paso International Airport for what it described as "special security reasons" Wednesday morning. The restriction initially was valid for 10 days, through Feb. 20, an unusually lengthy timeframe for airspace limitations affecting a major commercial airport.
PENTAGON EXPLORING COUNTER-DRONE SYSTEMS TO PREVENT INCURSIONS OVER NATIONAL SECURITY FACILITIES
Temporary flight restrictions are typically used for presidential travel, emergency response operations or specific, time-limited national security events. It is uncommon for such restrictions to be issued near a busy border airport absent a significant security concern.
Shortly after the restriction was put in place, however, the FAA and the Department of War reopened the airspace and determined "there is no threat to commercial …
US military shot down party balloon near El Paso after drone suspicion, official says
This affects the entire country.
A U.S. official confirmed to Fox News that the U.S. military earlier this week shot down what was later determined to be a party balloon near El Paso, Texas, after initially assessing it as a possible foreign drone.
The misidentification eventually led to a total shutdown of airspace around the El Paso, Texas, airport.
A separate U.S. administration official had told Fox News that Mexican cartel drones breached U.S. airspace near El Paso, Texas, and that counter-drone measures were taken to disable them.
The Pentagon has been testing out new counter-drone technology, including a high-energy laser, near the Army base at Fort Bliss, Texas. That laser was used to shoot down what appeared to be foreign drones — and was later identified as a balloon — prompting the airspace closure by the FAA, an official told Fox. It's unclear whether the cartel drones were related.
AMERICA'S SKIES ARE WIDE OPEN TO NATIONAL SECURITY THREATS, DRONE EXPERT WARNS: 'WE HAVE NO AWARENESS'
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her government has no information indicating drone activity along the U.S.-Mexico border following a temporary airspace restriction in Texas that U.S. officials linked to counter-drone measures.
"We have no information indicating drone activity along the border. If the FAA or any U.S. government agency has relevant information, they can ask directly the Government of Mexico," she said in a news conference Wednesday.
She said Mexican airspace had not been closed.
"We will look into the specific reasons behind the temporary closure."
"There’s no place for speculation. We will wait for the information and continue to uphold what we have consistently maintained: permanent, open communication."
The Federal Aviation Administration temporarily restricted flights in and out of El Paso International Airport for what it described as "special security reasons" Wednesday morning. The restriction initially was valid for 10 days, through Feb. 20, an unusually lengthy timeframe for airspace limitations affecting a major commercial airport.
PENTAGON EXPLORING COUNTER-DRONE SYSTEMS TO PREVENT INCURSIONS OVER NATIONAL SECURITY FACILITIES
Temporary flight restrictions are typically used for presidential travel, emergency response operations or specific, time-limited national security events. It is uncommon for such restrictions to be issued near a busy border airport absent a significant security concern.
Shortly after the restriction was put in place, however, the FAA and the Department of War reopened the airspace and determined "there is no threat to commercial …
