US shoots down four ‘flying objects’: What we know so far
A group of amateur balloonists has revealed that a pico balloon – which cost as little as $12 – may be among the three unidentified aerial objects shot down by the US military.
The Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade told Aviation Week that one of its research balloons last signalled its position on 10 February off the coast of Alaska, putting it on track to float towards Canada’s Yukon territory the next day. It was deemed “missing in action” on 15 February.
On 11 February, the US military shot down an object over Alaska – one of three unidentified objects downed that weekend.
In a speech on Thursday, President Joe Biden said that the three objects were “most likely tied to private companies, recreation or research institutions” and that “nothing right now suggests that they were related to China’s spy balloon program”.
Mr Biden said that the US military raised its radar sensitivity levels “to pick up more slow-moving objects above our country and around the world” in the days after the Chinese spy balloon flew over North American airspace.
The president said he makes “no apologies” for shooting the spy balloon down off the coast of South Carolina.
