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A U.S. F-22 fighter jet on Friday shot down an unidentified object flying over Alaska, U.S. officials said, less than a week after the military brought down a Chinese balloon that had flown across the United States.
A Sidewinder missile downed the object, which was about the size of a small car, said U.S. Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, the Pentagon’s chief spokesperson.
“We don’t know who owns this object,” said White House spokesperson John Kirby, adding that it was unclear where it began its flight.
President Joe Biden ordered the shootdown, which was announced from the White House.
On Feb. 4, another U.S. F-22 fighter jet brought down what the U.S. government called a Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina following its week-long journey across the United States and portions of Canada. China’s government has said it was a civilian research vessel.
Lawmakers criticized the president for not shooting down the Chinese balloon sooner. The U.S. military had recommended waiting until was over the ocean out of fear of injuries from falling debris.
The Pentagon and the White House declined to give a detailed description of the latest object, saying only that it was far smaller than the Chinese balloon. The Pentagon said it was flying at about 40,000 feet (12,190 meters), posing a risk to civilian air traffic.
It was shot down over the far northeastern part of Alaska near the Canadian border where it had been traveling in northeasterly direction. The Pentagon said it was first detected on Feb. 9 using ground radars. F-35 aircraft were then sent to investigate further.
Unmanned vessel
Ryder said American pilots who flew alongside it determined that no human was aboard. He added it was incapable of maneuvering and did not resemble an airplane. Ryder and other officials would not say whether it could simply be a weather balloon or another type of balloon.
“It wasn’t an aircraft per se,” Ryder told a news briefing.
The F-22 shot down the object at 1:45 p.m. EST.
Asked why Biden’s authorization was necessary, Ryder acknowledged that the U.S. military commander overseeing North American airspace had the authority to shoot down objects that posed a military risk or risk to the American people.
“In this particular case, it was determined that this posed a reasonable threat to air traffic,” Ryder said.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it closed some airspace in northern Alaska to support Department of Defense activities.
Since the shootdown of the 200-foot-tall (60-meter-high) Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon, U.S. officials have been scouring the ocean to recover debris and the undercarriage of electronic gadgetry.
Ryder told reporters “a significant” amount of the balloon had already been recovered or located, suggesting American officials may soon have more information about any Chinese espionage capabilities aboard the vessel.
After Friday’s object was shot down, some lawmakers praised Biden.
“Glad to see the President act swiftly on this new intrusion to our airspace,” Senator Mark Warner, chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said.
During an often contentious Senate hearing on Thursday, lawmakers criticized the Pentagon for not shooting down the Chinese balloon earlier, underscoring persistent concern in Congress about gaps in the U.S. ability to safeguard its airspace.
The House of Representatives on Thursday unanimously backed a resolution condemning the incursion of the balloon as “a brazen violation of United States sovereignty.”
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