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US fighter jet shoots down unidentified object over Canada | Military News

The downing was the second such act in as many days and comes amid tensions over a suspected Chinese spy ball.

A US fighter jet shot down an unidentified cylindrical object over Canada during a joint operation by neighboring North America.

The shooting down on Saturday was Such a second act for several days and until North America came on high alert after a weeklong story of a suspect China spy balloon.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau first announced the downing of the plane over the Yukon territory in the north of the country and said Canadian forces would recover and analyze the wreckage.

Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand declined to speculate on the origin of the object, which she said was cylindrical in shape. She didn’t describe it as a balloon but said it was smaller Chinese bubble was shot down off the coast of South Carolina a week ago, but outwardly similar.

She said it was flying at 12,100 meters (40,000 feet) and posed a risk to civilian air traffic when it was shot down at 3:41 EST (20:41 GMT).

“There is no reason to believe that the object’s impact on Canadian territory is of public concern,” Anand said at a news conference.

The Pentagon said the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected the object in the skies above Alaska on Friday night. US warplanes from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, tracked the object as it entered Canadian airspace, where Canadian CF-18 and CP-140 aircraft joined the formation.

“A US F-22 shot down an object over Canada with an AIM 9X missile after close coordination between the US and Canadian authorities,” said Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryder. know in a statement.

The Pentagon said US President Joe Biden authorized the country’s military to work with Canada to bring down the high-altitude plane following a call between Biden and Trudeau. The White House said Biden and Trudeau agreed to continue working closely to “protect our airspace”.

“The leaders discussed the importance of recovering the object to determine more details about its purpose or origin,” the White House said in a statement.

Earlier in the day, Biden ordered the shooting down of another unidentified flying object near Deadhorse, Alaska. The US military on Saturday remained tight-lipped about what, if anything, it learned as recovery efforts were underway on the Alaskan sea ice.

The Pentagon on Friday provided only a few details, including that the object, about the size of a small car, was flying at an altitude of about 12,100 meters and was unmaneuverable and appeared to be unmanned. US officials have been trying to find out about the object since it was first discovered on Thursday.

“We have no further details at this time about the object, including its capabilities, purpose or origin,” Northern Command said Saturday.

It noted difficult Arctic weather conditions, including cold winds, snow and limited daylight that could hamper search and recovery efforts.

“Staff will adjust recovery operations to remain safe,” Northern Command said.

On February 4, a US F-22 fighter jet brought down what the US government calls China’s surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina, after a week-long cruise through the United States and parts of Canada. The Chinese government has said it is a civilian research vessel.

Some US lawmakers criticized Biden for not shooting down the Chinese balloon sooner. The US military has recommended waiting until it crosses the ocean for fear of injury from falling debris.

U.S. personnel have scoured the ocean to recover debris and electronic equipment chassis since the downing of a 60-meter (200-foot) Chinese spy balloon.

The Pentagon said a significant number of balloons were recovered or located, suggesting that US officials may soon have more information about any Chinese spying capabilities on board.

Sea conditions on February 10 “allowed for diving and unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) operations as well as the recovery of additional debris from the seabed,” the Northern Command said.

“The public can see US Navy ships moving to and from this location as they conduct unloading and resupply operations.”



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