A mysterious object was shot down by a U.S. fighter jet over Lake Huron on Sunday on orders from President Biden. Jet shoots down mysterious objects marking the fourth such downing in just eight days and raises questions about whether such use of force is warranted. The recent shootdowns are a result of heightened security alerts following a spy balloon from China that appeared over U.S. airspace in late January. Fighter jets have also recently shot down objects over Canada and Alaska.
According to Gen. Glen VanHerck, head of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, the U.S. has adjusted its radar to track slower objects, which may explain the increased shootdowns. Melissa Dalton, assistant defense secretary for homeland defense, added that the U.S. constantly monitors for unknown radar blips and occasionally shuts down airspace as a precaution.
VanHerck stated that this was the first time that the U.S. has taken kinetic action against an airborne object within U.S. airspace. The Pentagon is still trying to determine the exact nature of the objects and if extraterrestrials are involved, VanHerck has not ruled out any possibility at this time.
The extraordinary air defense activity started in late January when a white orb appeared over the U.S. and was eventually downed by fighter jets off the coast of South Carolina. The latest object shot down was first detected over Montana and was thought to be an anomaly, but was later detected over the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and was heading over Lake Huron.
U.S. and Canadian authorities restricted some airspace over the lake as planes were scrambled to intercept and identify the object, which was described as octagonal with strings hanging off but no discernible payload. Meanwhile, U.S. officials are trying to identify two other objects shot down by F-22 fighter jets and determine if China was responsible.
An object shot down over Canada’s Yukon was described as a small balloon, while a flying object brought down over Alaska was more cylindrical and described as a type of airship. Both are believed to have a payload. The three objects are much smaller and different in appearance than the suspected spy balloon from China.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer stated that U.S. officials are working quickly to recover debris and gather information on the objects, which are being described as balloons. He added that it is wild that the U.S. was not aware of the Chinese spy program until a few months ago.
As questions linger about the nature of these mysterious objects as US Jet Shoots Down Mysterious Objects, the U.S. military and intelligence officials remain focused on uncovering the truth and protecting American airspace.