About Alaska
USA shoot down another “flying object” – many questions unanswered
John Kirby, communications director for the National Security Council, made the renewed shooting public
© Susan Walsh/AP/DPA
Shortly after suspected espionage balloons from China caused a stir in the USA, the US Air Force took down another “flying object” from the sky. The US authorities do not yet know the details – at least they do not reveal much.
A few days after shooting down a suspected Chinese spy balloon, the US military shot down another “flying object” over American territory on Friday. The White House and the Department of Defense announced in Washington that the aircraft was about twelve kilometers above the state of Alaska and posed a threat to the safety of civilian air traffic. Therefore, the military shot it down by order of President Joe Biden. He called the process a “success”. There is still no information on the origin and destination of the flying object.
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 using it to spy on military facilities. Beijing, on the other hand, spoke of a civilian research balloon that was off course – the Chinese government saw the launch as an “overreaction”. The incident caused additional tension in the already strained relationship between the two countries.
There are still many unanswered questions about the flying object
It was initially unclear whether there could be a connection between the two incidents. There are still many unanswered questions about the flying object that has now appeared. “We don’t know who owns this object,” National Security Council communications director John Kirby said in Washington. “We don’t know what that object was.” The US government hopes to get answers to these questions by salvaging the rubble. Parts of the object probably fell on frozen water after it was shot down. “We hope that the salvage will be successful and then we can learn a bit more about it.”
Washington Post report
Debris salvage in progress – spy balloon apparently part of a large Chinese surveillance program
The flying object was first sighted on Thursday evening (local time), Kirby said. Biden was informed immediately and gave the firing order on Friday morning. According to preliminary findings, the flying object is significantly smaller than the downed Chinese balloon. It’s about the size of a small car, Kirby said. China’s balloon, on the other hand, was more the size of two or three buses. He emphasized: “We will continue to keep a close eye on our airspace.”
USA send planes
Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said after the object was first sighted on Thursday, Air Defense Command sent Norad planes into the air to take a closer look. After that, the decision to launch was made. An F-22 fighter jet shot down the aircraft at 1:45 p.m. EST on Friday. The main reason for the decision was the threat to civil air traffic, which also operates at altitudes of up to 12 to 13 kilometers.
The Chinese balloon had flown significantly higher – at an altitude of more than 18 kilometers and thus far above the range of civilian air traffic. The US military let the Chinese balloon hover over American territory for several days and only destroyed it when it was over the sea because of the danger of falling debris.
China denies espionage with balloons
The appearance of the large Chinese observation balloon in American airspace had triggered major diplomatic upheavals in the past few days. In view of the dispute over the balloon, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken canceled a trip to Beijing at short notice. The US government also made numerous findings about the balloon public, increasing the pressure on Beijing. The State Department in Washington accused China of operating an extensive international surveillance program: China had targeted more than 40 countries on five continents with a fleet of spy balloons. The Chinese government has denied the allegations and accused the US government of waging an “information war” over the allegations of espionage.