A critical US Air Force base in Ohio was forced to shut its airspace for hours in the latest security scare over mysterious drones, officials confirmed Monday.
The sprawling Wright-Patterson Air Force Base closed for four hours from late Friday into the early hours of Saturday because of concern about the “small unmanned aerial systems,” Bob Purtiman, the chief spokesman for the 88th Air Base Wing, told The Post.
An air traffic controller was heard warning a medical aircraft — identified as “MedFlight 8” — to “use extreme caution for heavy UAS movement over the base,” according to a recording obtained by the War Zone, which first reported the scare.
The controller tells the pilot that “security forces are handling the situation” and that the base’s class D airspace – typically the area surrounding an airport up to an altitude of 2,500 feet – will be closed.
The drones “ranged in sizes and configurations” and were being monitored by base units, Purtiman said, without revealing how many were spotted.
“To date, installation leadership has determined none of the incursions impacted base residents, facilities or assets,” he said.
The Department of Defense did not immediately respond to requests for additional information.
The drone encounter over the air base, about five miles outside of Dayton, comes as there have been thousands of reports of drones patrolling the air, mainly over New Jersey, outraging residents and lawmakers who’ve demanded answers and action from the federal government.
Naval Weapons Station Earle, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, confirmed last week that “multiple” drones had infiltrated its airspace.
Do you have footage of drones over the skies of New Jersey or New York? Send it to The Post at [email protected].
Picatinny Arsenal, in Morris County, had requested and received a temporary flight restriction until Dec. 26 for its airspace as a result of the abundance of reported drone sightings in the area, officials said.
The mysterious drones caused a shutdown at New York’s Stewart International Airport Friday night, prompting Gov. Hochul to demand the feds step in.
The mysterious aircraft have also been reported near US military installations overseas.
Unidentified drones were spotted flying over the U.S. air base at Ramstein, Germany in early December, according to USAF officials. They have also been reported over air bases used by the USAF in Britain, CNN reported.
The 8,000-acre Wright-Patterson base is home to key US Air Force commands, including the Air Force Research Lab, which studies ways to protect Americans against technological warfare.
The base is the home of Air Force Materiel Command, which “conducts research, development, test and evaluation, and provides acquisition management services and logistics support necessary to keep Air Force weapon systems ready for war,” the command’s website says, CNN reported.
The National Air and Space Intelligence Center, which identifies air, space, and cyber threats is also on site.
The Biden administration’s national security adviser brushed off the saga, claiming the unusual objects are planes or helicopters that people are simply mistaking for drones.
Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said Sunday that certain agencies within the Department of Homeland Security have the power to “incapacitate” drones. “
“We need those authorities expanded,” he said.