Object Shot Down Over Alaska Declared a Success by President Biden
0President Joe Biden, in a statement to CNN, declared the shoot down of a "high-altitude object" near Alaska on Friday to be a "success." The action was taken after receiving approval from the commander-in-chief, following consultation with American national security officials. This marks the second time in less than a week that American fighter jets have taken down an object flying in US airspace, following questions about the timing of Biden's decision to shoot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina last Saturday.
On Thursday, the object was first detected, and F-35 fighter jets were deployed to investigate. The object was flying at an altitude of 40,000 feet and posed a potential threat to the safety of civilian flight, according to John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications. Despite the efforts of the F-35s and fighter aircraft on Friday, key questions about the origin and purpose of the object remain unanswered.
Biden was briefed Thursday night, and at the recommendation of the Pentagon, he ordered the military to bring down the object, which was successfully taken down by fighter aircraft assigned to US Northern Command over frozen Arctic Ocean waters near the Canadian border. The US anticipates recovering the debris, according to Kirby.
The object was shot down by an F-22 fighter jet with an AIM-9X missile, the same type used to shoot down the balloon off the coast of South Carolina. A US official noted that there was no serious concern about collateral damage to people or property on the ground. The decision to take down the object was made during daylight hours in the far north, when the brief hours of sunlight made it easier for the fast-moving jet to locate and follow the slow-moving object.
It is believed that the object was not an asset belonging to the US military or government, and did not appear to have any surveillance equipment, which would make it smaller and less sophisticated than the Chinese balloon shot down last weekend.