The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) announced, on Saturday, that there was a “fault in the radar equipment” and that no “flying object” was found over the US state of Montana.
The announcement comes after the Federal Aviation Administration revealed, on Saturday, that the airspace over part of the state of western Montana was temporarily closed and then reopened, amid talk of an “object in the sky.”
“The Armed Forces have closed portions of Montana airspace to support Department of Defense activities, and the airspace has reopened,” a statement from the department said.
Although the administration did not disclose the nature of the activities, Montana Rep. Matt Rosendale tweeted, “Airspace closed due to an object that could affect commercial air traffic.”
The deputy added, “The Ministry of Defense will resume efforts to monitor the object and drop it in the morning,” which the ministry later denied.
The FAA issued a no-fly notice for a 50 by 50 nautical mile area around Havre, Montana, near the Canadian border.
Aviation authorities have classified the area as a “national defense airspace”.
The Federal Aviation Administration declined to say if it was another balloon or a new flying object.
These developments come after the United States shot down a Chinese balloon and a strange object within days, which led to an increase in diplomatic tensions with Beijing.