United States of america: Days after destroying a Chinese “spy” balloon, a US military fighter jet shot down an “unidentified object” on Friday, February 10, as it took off from the far north coast of Alaska. President Joe Biden.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the object was shot down because it was flying at 40,000 feet, posing a serious threat to the safety of civilian flights. Specifically, private jets and commercial airlines can fly up to an altitude of 45,000 feet. Speaking about the fall of the object, President Biden said only that “it was a success.”
According to Kirby, the object was about the size of a small car, much smaller than the huge suspected Chinese spy balloon shot down by Air Force fighter jets off the coast of South Carolina on February 4.
No explanation on whether the object contains any surveillance equipment
The unusual two back-to-back shootings are said to be the result of mounting public pressure on President Biden to take a tough stand against China’s spying programme, according to reports. However, there were few clarifications about the mysterious object that was shot down on Friday, and the White House made a distinction between the two incidents. Officials could not say whether the latest item contained any surveillance equipment, where it came from or what its purpose was.
The Pentagon on Friday declined to provide a more precise description of the object, saying only that US pilots who flew in to look at it determined it was not manned. Officials said the object was much smaller than last week’s balloon, did not appear to be movable and was traveling at a very low altitude.
Kirby said Biden, based on the Pentagon’s advice, believed there was enough concern to shoot it out of the sky — primarily because of the potential risk to civilian aircraft. “We’re going to be cautious about our airspace,” Kirby said. “The President considers his obligations to protect our national security interests to be paramount.”
The President was informed about the presence of the object after an inspection by two fighter jets on Thursday evening.
Read also: Did China send ‘spy balloons’ like America on India too? Description
F-22 fighter jet shot down the object
Brig. Pentagon Press Secretary General Pat Ryder told reporters on Friday that an F-22 fighter based at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska shot down the object using an AIM-9X short-range air-to-air missile, The same type was used. About a week ago to take the balloon down.
Meanwhile, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a tweet on Friday that he had been informed and supported the decision. “Our military and intelligence services will always work together,” he said.
The object flew over one of the most desolate places in the country. Some towns are located on Alaska’s North Slope, where the apparently closest two communities – Deadhorse and Kaktovik – combine for about 300 people.
Ahead of the shoot-down, the Federal Aviation Administration restricted flights within US airspace over an approximately 10-square-mile (26-square-kilometre) area off Bullen Point in Alaska, which was part of a disused US Air Force base on the Beaufort Sea. The site of the radar station is. 130 miles (210 km) from the Canadian border, inside the Arctic Circle.
(with inputs from AP)