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 Taiwan Sun 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 Taiwan Sun.
More InformationNEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks closed in positive territory despite a volatile day Tuesday. Spending much time in ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: On November 24, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalled three more brands of whole and pre-cut ...
DETROIT, 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 ...
In a devastating turn of events, Israel's war on Gaza, sparked by Hamas's unprecedented attacks on October 7, has resulted ...
BATON ROUGE, Louisiana: In a Louisiana election where more than 43,000 people cast their ballots, a candidate for parish sheriff ...
LIVINGSTON, Kentucky: This week, railroad operator CSX said a train derailment involving 16 cars, two of which spilled molten sulfur ...
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 ...
WASHINGTON D.C.: The White House says U.S. authorities have foiled a plot to kill a Sikh separatist in the U.S., ...