US shoots down unknown 'high-altitude object' over Alaska, White House says
11 Feb 2023 Ben Gittleson
"It was "cylindrical" and "silver-ish grey," ABC's Martha Raddatz was told.
The White House said Friday that an unknown "high-altitude object" had been shot down over the waters off Alaska. President Joe Biden ordered the shootdown, spokesman John Kirby said, adding that the origin of the object has yet to be determined. Responding to reporters' shouted questions about the shootdown Friday afternoon outside the White House, Biden called the operation a "success."
It comes just days after the U.S. shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon last Saturday, following a political firestorm. Kirby said the object was about the size of a small car and was at flying about 40,000 feet. He said because it posed a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight, that out of an abundance of caution and at the recommendation of the Pentagon, Biden ordered the military to down the object.
ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz first reported that when fighters were scrambled, the pilots did visuals, got images and said there was no sign the object had propulsion. It was described as "cylindrical and silver-ish gray" and seemed to be floating, a U.S. official said. Asked if was "balloon-like," the official said, "All I say is that it wasn't 'flying' with any sort of propulsion, so if that is 'balloon-like' well -- we just don't have enough at this point." "It came in, inside our territorial waters, those waters right now are frozen, but inside territorial airspace and over territorial waters. Fighter aircraft assigned to U.S. Northern Command took down the object within the last hour," Kirby said. "We don't know who owns this object," he said.
The object came to U.S. attention Thursday evening, Kirby said. "It did not appear to have maneuverability capability, he said. "It was virtually at the whim of the wind." The object was traveling "northeasterly across Alaska" and two F-35 fighters were sent up to identify it last night, [collecting intel via sensors] the Pentagon said later Friday evening.
On Friday, two F-22’s from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson tracked it and one of them fired the AIM-9X sidewinder missile near the location of Deadhorse, Alaska which is right on Prudhoe Bay, according to the Pentagon.
abcnews.go.com
It's times like these that it is good to know India and the rest of the powers here on Earth will have the U.S back when "they" come here asking questions about what happen to their diplomat that came here to make first contact. As earthlings we must stand as one and not backstab each other by being a nark on who may have accidently shot down their envoy.
Earthling blood is thicker than water, am I right youz guys?
11 Feb 2023 Ben Gittleson
"It was "cylindrical" and "silver-ish grey," ABC's Martha Raddatz was told.
The White House said Friday that an unknown "high-altitude object" had been shot down over the waters off Alaska. President Joe Biden ordered the shootdown, spokesman John Kirby said, adding that the origin of the object has yet to be determined. Responding to reporters' shouted questions about the shootdown Friday afternoon outside the White House, Biden called the operation a "success."
It comes just days after the U.S. shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon last Saturday, following a political firestorm. Kirby said the object was about the size of a small car and was at flying about 40,000 feet. He said because it posed a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight, that out of an abundance of caution and at the recommendation of the Pentagon, Biden ordered the military to down the object.
ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz first reported that when fighters were scrambled, the pilots did visuals, got images and said there was no sign the object had propulsion. It was described as "cylindrical and silver-ish gray" and seemed to be floating, a U.S. official said. Asked if was "balloon-like," the official said, "All I say is that it wasn't 'flying' with any sort of propulsion, so if that is 'balloon-like' well -- we just don't have enough at this point." "It came in, inside our territorial waters, those waters right now are frozen, but inside territorial airspace and over territorial waters. Fighter aircraft assigned to U.S. Northern Command took down the object within the last hour," Kirby said. "We don't know who owns this object," he said.
The object came to U.S. attention Thursday evening, Kirby said. "It did not appear to have maneuverability capability, he said. "It was virtually at the whim of the wind." The object was traveling "northeasterly across Alaska" and two F-35 fighters were sent up to identify it last night, [collecting intel via sensors] the Pentagon said later Friday evening.
On Friday, two F-22’s from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson tracked it and one of them fired the AIM-9X sidewinder missile near the location of Deadhorse, Alaska which is right on Prudhoe Bay, according to the Pentagon.
US shoots down unknown 'high-altitude object' over Alaska, White House says
The U.S. has shot down what was called a "high-altitude object" over waters off Alaska, the White House said Friday.
It's times like these that it is good to know India and the rest of the powers here on Earth will have the U.S back when "they" come here asking questions about what happen to their diplomat that came here to make first contact. As earthlings we must stand as one and not backstab each other by being a nark on who may have accidently shot down their envoy.
Earthling blood is thicker than water, am I right youz guys?
