Status: 02/11/2023 08:47 a.m
The US military shot down an unknown object in US airspace, according to the White House. The flying object was located off the coast of the US state of Alaska and posed a safety hazard.
The US military has shot down another flying object over American territory, according to the government. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in Washington. He could not say anything about the origin of the flying object. “We do not know who owns this object.”
The flying object was at a high altitude – according to Kirby 40,000 feet, which corresponds to about twelve kilometers – over the state of Alaska and posed a threat to the safety of civil air traffic. Therefore, the US military shot it down on orders from President Joe Biden.
US military shoots down flying object over Alaska, Kerstin Klein, ARD Washington: What is known?
daily topics 9:45 p.m., 10.2.2023
Canada was informed
According to Kirby, the launch site was in the north-east of the country near the border with Canada. “We don’t know what that object was,” Kirby said. “We assume that we will be able to recover the rubble.” Parts of the object probably fell on frozen water after it was shot down. It is hoped that the salvage will be successful and that “we can then learn a little more about it”.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that he had been briefed on the incident and supported the US decision to shoot down. The two countries’ military and secret services always work together to ensure people’s safety.
The flying object was first sighted on Thursday evening, Kirby said. President Biden was informed immediately and gave the firing order this morning (local time). According to preliminary findings, the flying object is significantly smaller than the Chinese balloon shot down last week. “It was described to me as about the size of a small car,” Kirby said. US airspace will “continue to be closely monitored.”
Chinese balloon shot down last week
Last Saturday, the US military shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of the state of South Carolina over the Atlantic. The US government accuses China of wanting to spy on military installations. China’s balloon is said to have been the size of two to three buses.
The Chinese government, on the other hand, spoke of a civilian research balloon that had gone off course – and of an “overreaction”.
US shot down unidentified flying object over Alaska
Arne Bartram, ARD Washington, 2023-02-10 9:36 p.m