Those military aircraft you saw soaring near Door County had a purpose on Sunday after Lake Michigan airspace was closed for part of the day.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command announced the closure at approximately 11 a.m. due to an unidentified flying object that had been initially tracked in Montana. According to images shared with the Door County Daily News by a reader from the flight tracking website FlightRadar24, one United States Air Force plane made circular patterns around Door County before following that pattern across Lake Michigan into Michigan before entering Lake Huron.
A second plane circled the Sheboygan area before flying up the Door Peninsula shoreline and into lower Michigan.
Several news outlets later reported that the unidentified flying object was shot down over Lake Huron after it flew across Michigan at an altitude of about 20,000 feet. It was recovered approximately 15 nautical miles from shore. U.S. Senators Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin thanked the military for their swift action. Still, they demanded more transparency regarding what is being learned from the recovered flying objects.
I appreciate DoD’s notification of the actions they took in downing yet another “foreign object” over Lake Huron.
— Senator Ron Johnson (@SenRonJohnson) February 12, 2023
Maximum transparency on what they learn about these objects is essential.
We must do what’s necessary to keep our nation safe. pic.twitter.com/kysbM2kk5t
I’ve been notified by @DeptofDefense that the flying “object” over the Great Lakes has been shot down. I appreciate the decisive action taken by the President. Wisconsinites safety & our national security is paramount, & we need answers about these incursions.
— Sen. Tammy Baldwin (@SenatorBaldwin) February 12, 2023
It is the fourth time since February 4th that the military has had to shoot down an unidentified flying object.
Screenshots of FlightRadar24 courtesy of reader