The American and Canadian governments shot down 3 unknown flying objects in the space of 48 hours, less than 10 days after the destruction of a spy balloon of Chinese origin. This active fight against dubious aircraft in the airspace is unprecedented since the Cold War.
American fighter jets resumed service this weekend. Within 48 hours, three unidentified objects were spotted and shot down in Alaska (United States), Canada and the border between the two countries. All these “unidentified aerospace phenomena” – as it is officially called in France – come a week after the destruction of a supposedly Chinese spy balloon by the United States, on February 4, 2023. Americans are not the only ones watching the sky, since Beijing also accuses Washington of having dropped a surveillance device over China.
If these objects are not defined expressly and publicly by the departments of States, that does not mean that they are unknown for the armed forces. Official communication may perfectly limit its description in front of the media for reasons of national security. Three spy balloons had, for example, been observed during the presidency of Donald Trump between 2017 and 2021. The government had decided not to reveal this affair at the time.
We summarize the hunt for flying objects that has been taking place since the end of January 2023.
January 28 – The discovery of the spy balloon
The spy scandal begins with a spy balloon spotted in Alaskan airspace on Jan. 28, Pentagon officials say. The aircraft then drifted towards Montana – home to a sensitive US base that houses nuclear missile silos – to end up over the Atlantic Ocean. He was shot down on the afternoon of February 4 by an American F-22.
The balloon was fitted with solar panels to power propulsion, cameras and surveillance technology. The craft, the size of three buses, was flying over the United States at an altitude of 18,000 meters. The Pentagon accuses Beijing of having made this spy device take off.
In the aftermath, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken canceled a trip to China, which would have been the first by a cabinet secretary to Mr. Biden.
February 10 – The first unknown flying in the far north
Friday, February 10, the American armed forces shot down a new craft flying in the skies of Alaska, a US state northwest of Canada. John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, spoke to reporters, saying this is a ” object “, moving at high altitude – 12,000 m – without specifying its nature. He describes it as a device of “the size of a small car”and large enough to put “a threat to air traffic safety”.
February 11 – Canada destroys a second aircraft
Less than 24 hours later, NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, announced that it had detected a new craft flying at high altitude in the Canadian sky. At 3:40 p.m., an American F-22 shot down the object of ” cylindrical shape according to the Canadian government. During a press briefingCanadian Defense Minister Anita Anand said, “ that it was circulating at an altitude of around 12,000 meters [40 000 pieds] and undoubtedly posed a threat to civilian aircraft “. She pointed out that it was the first aircraft destroyed during an air mission of NORAD, a command created in the late 1950s.
February 12 – UFO is shot down over Lake Huron
A fourth object is seen on Saturday in Montana, then reappears on Sunday 2,000 km further to the east, in Michigan. This time again, the American army decides to destroy the machine and plans to recover the debris. Officials said there was no indication of collateral damage and the aircraft ended up in Lake Huron. The Ministry of Defense described the device as an octagonal structure from which cables dangled. No explosive charge was detected.
” An F-16 fired an AIM9x to successfully shoot down an aerial object flying approximately 6,000m in US airspace over Lake Huron in Michigan “, according a statement from the Pentagon on Sunday. ” Its trajectory and altitude raised concerns, including that it could pose a hazard to civil aviation. »
February 13 – China accuses the United States of launching its own balloons
Beijing decides to respond to American accusations this Monday, February 13, by claiming that Washington is also carrying out a campaign of espionage. ” It is very common for the United States to interfere [dans] other people’s airspace said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin. ” Last year alone, more than 10 high-altitude US balloons illegally crossed Chinese airspace without permission from relevant Chinese authorities.. »
Within hours, the White House dismissed those claims, saying no ” surveillance balloon floated over China. ” This is the latest example of China scrambling to limit the damage said Adrienne Watson, spokeswoman for the US National Security Council.
These frontal accusations may push Washington to reveal more details about the three unknown objects shot down this weekend.
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