The United States military does not know what three objects it shot out of the sky above North America were or how they were able to stay aloft.
On Sunday, President Joe Biden ordered the destruction of a fourth item this month.
It was unclear if this was producing more hits or if the current invasions were part of a larger plot.
A military commander speculated that the object could be a “gaseous type of balloon” or “some sort of propulsion device.
He stated that he could not rule out the possibility that the objects were aliens.
Defense sources have described the latest device, which was shot down over Lake Huron in Michigan near the Canadian border, as an unmanned “octagonal structure” with linked strings.
At 14:42 local time, it was shot down by a missile fired from an F-16 fighter jet (19:42 GMT).
The incident raises additional questions regarding the rash of high-altitude objects shot down over North America this month.
General Glen VanHerck, commander of the US Northern Command, stated that there was no sign of a threat.
“They will not be classified as balloons. We refer to them as objects for a reason “he said.
“What we are seeing are extremely little things with an extremely narrow radar cross-section,” he continued.
In recent days, speculation has grown over the objects’ possible nature.
When questioned if the objects may be aliens or extraterrestrials, General VanHerck replied. “I will let the intelligence and counterintelligence communities sort it out.”
I have not ruled out any possibilities at this time.
After days over the US, a Chinese spy balloon was shot down off South Carolina on February 4. It originated in China, according to officials, and was used to monitor critical sites.
China denied the gadget was used for espionage and said it was errant weather monitoring equipment. The event and subsequent heated responses escalated tensions between Washington and Beijing.
However, a defense official reported on Sunday that the United States had engaged with Beijing regarding the first object, after receiving no answer for several days. It was unclear at first what was addressed.
American fighter jets had shot down three additional high-altitude objects in as many days since the initial incident.
President Biden ordered the destruction of one object over northern Alaska on Friday, and a similar object was destroyed over the Yukon in northwestern Canada on Saturday.
Both the United States and Canada are still seeking to recover the remains. But Arctic circumstances have impeded the search in Alaska.
“These objects did not closely resemble and were much smaller than the [4 February] balloon,” a White House spokesperson for the national security state. “We will not definitively characterize them until we recover the wreckage.”
According to the Chinese foreign ministry, the US has sent balloons into Chinese airspace over ten times this year.
“It is not uncommon for the United States to illegally invade the airspace of other nations,” foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a press briefing.
Expanding the search with radars and sensors could lead to the discovery of the most recent items.
Melissa Dalton, assistant secretary of defense, remarked, “We have intensified the surveillance of our airspace at these altitudes, particularly by strengthening our radar.”
An official explained to the Washington Post that it was comparable to a car purchaser unchecking boxes on a webpage to expand the search settings.
It was unclear if this was causing more hits or if the current invasions were part of a larger scheme.
The three most recent objects fired down, according to a senior official speaking to ABC News, were likely weather equipment and not surveillance balloons.
However, this was challenged by the leading Democrat in Congress. Who informed a journalist that intelligence experts suspected the items to be surveillance balloons.
“They believe they were balloons,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, adding that they were “much smaller” than the first object shot down off the coast of South Carolina.
Montana Democrat Jon Tester told CBS that the preceding two weeks were “beyond ridiculous.”
Republicans have repeatedly criticized the Biden administration’s handling of the first alleged spy balloon, arguing that it should have been shot down much earlier.
Other nations are anxiously monitoring the United States’ response in case an object is discovered in their airspace.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged to do “whatever it takes” to defend the nation.
“We have a quick reaction alert force with Typhoon planes that patrol our airspace 24/7,” he said.
