The Daily Observer London Desk: Reporter- John Furner
U.S. fighter aircraft shot down a “high altitude airborne object” flying over Canadian airspace on Saturday.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a post on Twitter that Canadian and U.S. aircraft were scrambled after an unidentified object violated Canadian airspace.
The object, later described by Canadian officials as a small “cylindrical” object, was shot down over Canada’s Yukon territory by a U.S. F-22 fighter.
“I spoke with President Biden this afternoon,” Mr. Trudeau wrote. “Canadian Forces will now recover and analyze the wreckage of the object.”
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which includes military officials from both the U.S. and Canada, said in an earlier statement that it had “positively identified a high-altitude airborne object over Northern Canada.”
The Pentagon said the object was first detected over Alaska late Friday evening. Two Alaska-based F-22s monitored the object as it overviews U.S. airspace.
Two Canadian aircraft, a CF-18 and CP-140, joined the formation alongside U.S. fighters once the object crossed into Canadian airspace on Saturday.
Mr. Biden received continual briefings from his national security team since the object was first detected, according to the White House.
“Out of an abundance of caution and at the recommendation of their militaries, President Biden and Prime Minister Trudeau authorized it to be taken down,” the White House said.
The U.S. F-22 shot the object down using an AIM-9 missile.
“As Canadian authorities conduct recovery operations to help our countries learn more about the object, the Federal Bureau of Investigation will be working closely with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,” Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement.
The White House said Mr. Biden and Mr. Trudeau discussed “the importance of recovering the object in order to determine more details on its purpose or origin.”
At a press conference later Saturday, Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand offered the first details about the shape of the object itself. While many questions remain, she described the object as cylindrical.
“We have no further details about the object at this time other than it appears to be a small cylindrical object and smaller than the one that was downed off the coast” of the U.S. last week, she said.
Saturday’s disclosure marks the third downing of an unmanned flying object, including one confirmed to be a Chinese surveillance balloon, over the past week.
U.S. Northern Command officials said recovery operations continued on Saturday for the two other unmanned craft shot down on opposite coasts of the U.S. over the past week.
Officials said the U.S. military is coordinating with the FBI and local law enforcement as search and recovery operations continue on the northern coast of Alaska after a U.S. F-22 shot down an unmanned “high altitude object” in U.S. airspace on Friday afternoon.
“Arctic weather conditions, including wind chill, snow, and limited daylight, are a factor in this operation, and personnel will adjust recovery operations to maintain safety,” U.S. Northern Command said in a statement. “Recovery activities are occurring on sea ice. We have no further details at this time about the object, including its capabilities, purpose, or origin.”
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, when asked if he could confirm reports of another Chinese spy balloon entering U.S. airspace, told reporters on Friday that the Pentagon began tracking that object over Alaskan airspace.
Defense officials said that U.S. military personnel first identified the craft by radar on Thursday.
Pressed on the specifics of the object, Gen. Ryder told reporters that it was about the size of a small car — much smaller than the Chinese surveillance balloon shot down off the South Carolina coast last Saturday.
U.S. Northern Command coordinated the shootdown operation with assistance from Alaska National Guard, FAA, and FBI personnel. An F-22 fighter jet fired a single AIM-9 missile to take down the object.
It’s not yet clear where that object came from, nor were officials willing to speculate on what its purpose may have been.
Military officials also said on Saturday that recovery efforts continue following the Feb. 4 downing of a high-altitude Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina.
“The Federal Bureau of Investigation continues to assist recovery on-site and take custody of debris arriving at on-shore locations,” officials said.
The Biden administration has faced withering criticism for allowing the spy balloon to travel across the entire U.S. before shooting it down off the Atlantic coast. Officials said they waited until the craft could be safely shot down without posing a threat to civilians on the ground. Critics say the decision to wait so long showed weakness and sent a signal to Beijing that America will allow a foreign craft to travel through its airspace.
Gen. Ryder did not address questions Friday about whether that criticism or political pressure factored into Mr. Biden’s decision to shoot down the most recent object so quickly.
