(NewsNation) — As lawmakers process the breaches to North American airspace from the last week, some are calling for more transparency from the White House, while others say it is time to update the U.S. radar system.
“We’re going to have to begin to look at the United States and airspace as one that we need to defend, and we need to have appropriate sensors to do so,” said House Intelligence Chairman Mike Turner. “This shows some of the problems and gaps that we have. We need to fill those as soon as possible.”
Lawmakers say much of the U.S. sensor and radar technology was designed to catch missiles or foreign military planes coming into American airspace, not necessarily detect spy balloons or other types of drones.
Democratic Congressman Jim Himes, also a member of the House Intelligence Committee, told NewsNation that the American people want more information about these aircrafts.
“I spend a lot of time talking to folks in grocery stores and town hall meetings. In an absence of information, people will fill that gap with anxiety and other stuff,” said Himes. “So I wish the administration would be a little quicker in telling us what they do know.”
In the span of one week, U.S. fighter jets have shot down four aircraft in separate instances over North America.
The first aircraft was identified as a Chinese spy balloon, but neither the Pentagon nor the White House has shared details about the source or nature of the three aircraft that have been downed since.
On Saturday night, Senate and House members of Montana were among the first to publicly confirm the objects on radar over their state, after getting briefed by the Department of Defense.
Today, members of Congress from Michigan sounded the alarm for the object detected then downed over Lake Huron.
The White House is yet to address the American people directly on the new incidents, allowing lawmakers from the impacted states to provide critical updates.