- Writing
- BBC News World
image source, Getty Images
The downed object was flying over Alaska.
The White House said it shot down a “high altitude object” flying over Alaska.
Spokesman John Kirby said the drone was “about the size of a small car” and was over a sparsely populated area at the time.
President Joe Biden made the decision to shoot down the object, which was of unknown origin, Kirby said.
The incident comes after the United States shot down a Chinese balloon over its territorial waters last Saturday.
Speaking from the White House on Friday, Kirby explained that the object over Alaska was traveling at 40,000 feet (12,000 m) and posed a “reasonable threat” to civilian aircraft.
He said the object had fallen into currently frozen US waters, adding that its debris field was “much, much smaller” than what was left behind by the balloon that went down last week off the coast of South Carolina.
Intelligence officials became aware of the object Thursday night, according to Kirby. “We don’t know who owns it, whether it’s state, corporate or private,” she said.
He also explained that a fighter jet had approached the object and confirmed that no one was on board. It was information that was made available to Biden when he made his decision.
image source, Getty Images
The Pentagon said an F-22, like the one seen here in a file photo, shot down the object.
Analysis
Pentagon press secretary Brigadier General Pat Ryder confirmed that an F-22 aircraft shot down the object, which was moving at an unknown speed, with a sidewinder missile at 1:45 p.m. EST (18:45 GMT).
Ryder went on to say that a significant amount of debris had been recovered so far.
It is being loaded onto ships and taken to “laboratories for further analysis” that “will be helpful to our further understanding of this globe and its surveillance capabilities.”
Authorities have yet to determine if the object was involved in surveillance activity, and Kirby corrected a reporter when he referred to it as a balloon.
It did not specify the exact location where the object was shot down, but the Federal Aviation Administration said it had closed airspace in the Deadhorse area of northern Alaska.
The White House also added that, so far, no other objects that could be threatening had been identified, flying over US airspace.
According to Kirby, the object did not appear to have the maneuverability of the Chinese surveillance balloon. This one seemed to be “practically at the mercy of the wind.”
The object was first seen Thursday night, though officials did not specify a time. The F-22 departed from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, located in Anchorage, the state capital.
image source, Getty Images
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