Robert Besser
19 Mar 2023, 05:08 GMT+10
WASHINGTON D.C.: US Senators Mark Kelly, a Democrat, and Ted Budd, a Republican, will introduce legislation this week to help the US military differentiate between potential threats by mandating tracking systems that detect high-altitude weather and research balloons.
After US fighter jets shot down a Chinese balloon and three other objects last month, the two senators told Reuters they will introduce legislation to help identify balloons operating in US airspace.
Under the legislation, the Federal Aviation Administration must issue regulations within two years mandating equipping high-altitude balloons operating at 10,000 feet above sea level or higher with tracking systems to transmit altitude, identity and location.
A former US Navy pilot and NASA astronaut, Kelly said, "At a time when our adversaries are using hostile surveillance tactics, there is no reason why our country should have to wonder whether an object in our airspace is a threat, weather balloon, or science project."
In a statement, Budd, who is a pilot, said, "The recent shoot down of a Chinese spy balloon that traversed the skies over our country for more than a week highlights the immediate need for the FAA to re-evaluate how we track objects flying over American airspace."
The FAA is also required by the legislation to work with the International Civil Aviation Organization to draft equivalent international standards for high-altitude balloons, and must create a committee to propose recommendations to update existing regulations.
Get a daily dose of Iran Herald news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Iran Herald.
More InformationDETROIT, Michigan: US electric vehicle (EV) sales are expected to reach a record of 9% of all passenger vehicles this ...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks closed marginally lower as traders returned to their desks Monday following the Thanksgiving ...
OMAHA, Nebraska: On November 21, Warren Buffett announced a donation of Berkshire Hathaway stocks worth some US$866 million to four ...
HONOLULU, Hawaii: The islands' leaders are working on streamlining the travel process for Japanese tourists, making it more convenient for ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: After the COVID-19 pandemic almost ended the tradition of visiting friends and family over the long holiday weekend, ...
SAN FRANCISCO, California: Just weeks after California banned its self-driving vehicles from public roads after an accident last month, Cruise, ...
Fifty-seven journalists have been killed as of Saturday as a result of Israel's war on Gaza, which has extended to ...
TEL AVIV, Israel - Following Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's statement on Emily Hand's release, Israel's foreign minister says he summoned the ...
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, the caretaker prime minister, arrived in Abu Dhabi on Sunday for an official visit to ...
BEIRUT, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said in a statement on Saturday that ...
We have both been reporting on and protesting against U.S. war crimes for many years, and against identical crimes committed ...
© Provided by Xinhua In the Central Business District (CBD) of Egypt's new administrative capital, Chinese and Egyptian workers are ...