Top Line
An unidentified object was shot down by the US military Friday afternoon in Alaskan airspace, though Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said little was known about the object, which officials did not indicate was linked to a suspected Chinese spy balloon shot down earlier this week.
Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said that little was known about the object.
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important facts
Ryder said a “high-altitude aerial object”—described as “about the size of a small car”—was shot down at 1:45 p.m. Friday, when it was first reported over Alaska. Was seen traveling to the North East. similar in shape or size to a Chinese balloon”.
According to National Safety Council spokesman John Kirby the object was flying approximately 40,000 feet in the air, posing a “reasonable threat to the safety of civil flight”.
The object did not appear to be “self-maneuvering” and was unmanned, Kirby said, adding that the object was “at the mercy of the prevailing winds”.
Kirby said the US fighters completed their first fly-by of the object on Thursday before a second pass on Friday morning, although both brought back “limited” information about the object.
President Joe Biden ordered the downing of the object on Friday afternoon at the recommendation of Pentagon officials, saying “it was a success”, according to CNN.
A recovery operation is underway to retrieve debris from the object, which was shot down over the Canadian border in northeast Alaska, Ryder said, because the US has “no further information” about the object’s capabilities, purpose or origin. Don’t have details”, although it didn’t appear that they had any monitoring equipment.
amazing facts
US officials told CNN that the object was shot down by an F-22 fighter jet with an AIM-9X missile, both of which were used to shoot down the balloon.
what we don’t know
Kirby and Ryder both provided limited information about the object’s physical appearance, noting only that it did not resemble a Chinese balloon. It was identified as an object “because it’s the best description we have right now,” Kirby said. “We don’t know who owns it, whether it’s state-owned or corporate-owned or private-owned, we just don’t know.”
main background
The US Air Force earlier this week shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina after it was spotted hovering over US Ryder, attempting to shoot the balloon down “a little bit of apples and oranges”. Sa”. Attempts were made to shoot the object down, given that the balloon was quite large and could carry a large payload. Biden faced criticism for not shooting down the balloon when it was first detected in Alaska, contrary to the administration’s 24-hour monitoring of the object and subsequent shooting down.
Further reading
Pentagon says US shot down ‘threat’ object over Alaskaforbes,
US shoots down suspected Chinese spy balloon over Atlanticforbes,
