Washington/Ottawa: A US F-22 fighter jet shot down an unidentified object over Canada on Saturday second such shooting in as many days, as North America appeared to be on high alert following a weeks-long Chinese spy balloon saga that attracted global headlines. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the shooting on Twitter, saying it happened in the Yukon Territory in the north of the country. He said the Canadian military would recover and analyze debris from the object.
Trudeau also said he spoke with US President Joe Biden about the incident, a day after Biden ordered an unidentified flying object to be shot down over sea ice near Deadhorse, Alaska.
On Saturday the US military was still tight-lipped about what it learned as recovery efforts were underway.
I spoke with President Biden this afternoon. The Canadian military will now recover and analyze the wreckage of the object. Thanks to NORAD for keeping an eye on North America. — Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) February 11, 2023
The Pentagon offered only a few details on Friday, including that the object was the size of a small car, was flying at about 40,000 feet and could not maneuver and appeared to be unmanned. US officials have been trying to make sense of the object since it was first spotted on Thursday.
“At this time we have no further details about the object, including its capabilities, purpose or origin,” Northern Command said on Saturday.
It cited difficult Arctic weather conditions, including wind chill, snow and limited daylight that hindered search and recovery efforts.
The Northern Command said it would “adjust recovery operations to maintain personnel safety”.
on February 4 a US F-22 fighter jet brought down what the US government said was a Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina after its week-long voyage across the United States and parts of Canada. The Chinese government has said that it was a civilian research vessel.
Some US lawmakers criticized Biden for not taking down the Chinese balloon sooner. The US military had recommended waiting until the sea was over for fear of injury from falling debris.
US officials have been scouring the seas to recover debris and the undercarriage of electronic gadgetry since a 200-foot-high (60-metre-high) Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon was shot down.
The Pentagon has said that a significant amount of the balloons have already been recovered or located, suggesting that US officials may soon have more information about any Chinese espionage capabilities aboard the vessel.
Sea conditions on February 10 “allowed for diving and underwater unmanned vehicle (UAV) activities and retrieval of additional debris from the seabed,” the Northern Command said.
“The public can view US Navy ships moving past the site as they conduct offload and re-supply activities.”