Illustration photo – American F-16 fighter jet.
Washington – In the past hours, an American fighter jet shot down an unspecified object the size of a small passenger car that was flying at a high altitude near Alaska. This was stated today by the White House, according to which the Air Force intervention was ordered by President Joe Biden. It is unclear who the item belonged to. Further details will become clear after analysis of the remains of the object, according to Washington.
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According to White House security spokesman John Kirby, the object was located at an altitude of approximately 12,000 meters and could pose a danger to civilian aircraft. The wreckage of the object fell into American waters. When shot down, the object was moving near the northeastern tip of Alaska. Kirby said the Defense Department is not aware of any other similar objects in US airspace.
According to Kirby, the downed object was smaller than the Chinese balloon that the US Air Force destroyed last week. “We don't know who owned it, whether it was a state, a company or an individual,” the White House spokesman said. Not even the Pentagon was able to determine the origin of the flying object today. An analysis of the wreckage that US forces are trying to pick up could provide further insights. It should be easier to hit than the Chinese balloon because the surface is frozen.
The object had no propulsion or other elements that would have allowed it to change direction of flight, and there is no indication that anyone was piloting it, the Pentagon said. “We're not clear on its use yet,” Kirby said of the item. It is unclear if the subject was carrying intelligence equipment. It was flying at a lower level than the downed Chinese balloon, which was at an altitude of about 18,000 meters, the White House spokesman said several differences between the two strikes.
Last week on Saturday, a US military fighter jet shot down a Chinese balloon that the United States had for espionage and who flew over American territory. Beijing condemned the downing of its balloon, saying it was a civilian object used for meteorological research. According to the US, Chinese spy balloons have previously been spotted on five continents and are part of a vast intelligence program that China has been conducting for years.
