Mystery Object Shot Down by US Military. A US fighter jet shot down an unknown object flying off the remote northern coast of Alaska on Friday, according to White House officials. The object was brought down because it was flying at approximately 40,000 feet, posing a “reasonable threat” to the safety of civilian flights. The object was described as being roughly the size of a small car, and much smaller than a suspected Chinese spy balloon that was shot down by the Air Force last week off the coast of South Carolina.

Mystery Object Shot Down by US Military off Alaska Coast

The shoot-down of two objects in quick succession has raised concerns over China’s surveillance program and has led to public pressure on President Biden to take a tough stance against it. However, there is still little information about the object shot down in Alaska, including if it contained any surveillance equipment, its origin, or its purpose.

The Pentagon declined to provide a more detailed description of the object, only saying that US pilots who observed it determined that it was not manned. The White House National Security Council spokesman, John Kirby, maintained that the object was shot down because it posed a concern to civilian aircraft.

Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said that the object was shot down using an AIM-9X short-range air-to-air missile by an F-22 fighter aircraft based in Alaska. The object fell onto frozen waters, and US military helicopters have been sent to recover the debris.

The Federal Aviation Administration restricted flights over a roughly 10-square-mile area within US airspace off Alaska’s Bullen Point before the shoot-down. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted that he was briefed on the situation and supported the decision.

Although the origin of the object remains a mystery, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration stated that it was not a National Weather Service balloon. The shoot-down took place in an area with harsh weather conditions and limited daylight, making it unlikely that many people saw the object.

In conclusion, the shoot-down of the unknown object by the US military off the coast of Alaska has raised more questions than answers, with the origin and purpose of the object still unknown. However, the US military remains vigilant about its airspace and the President takes his obligations to protect the national security interests of the country as paramount.