John Kirby, spokesperson for the White House National Security Council, claimed that the object was shot down because it was travelling at an altitude of about 40,000 feet.
A US military fighter plane, acting on instructions from US President Joe Biden, allegedly shot down an unidentified flying object off the coast of northern Alaska on Friday. John Kirby, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said that the object was shot down because it was flying at an altitude of around 40,000 feet (13,000 metres) and posed a "reasonable threat" to the safety of civilian flights.
John Kirby, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council, said that the object was shot down because it was flying at an altitude of around 40,000 feet (13,000 metres) and posed a "reasonable threat" to the safety of civilian flights. There was no indication that it was conducting surveillance. Upon being asked about the object's destruction on Friday, Biden simply remarked, "It was a success." Private and commercial planes may reach altitudes of up to 45,000 feet (13,700 meters).
When compared to the large suspected Chinese spy balloon that was shot down by Air Force fighter aircraft on Saturday off the coast of South Carolina after it transited over critical military facilities throughout the continental US, Kirby said this item was about the size of a tiny car.
The close proximity of the two downings is unprecedented, and it reflects growing public anxiety over China's spying operation and pressure on President Biden to respond angrily. The White House, however, made differences between the two incidents and little information have been provided concerning the unidentified object that was shot down on Friday. No one in authority knew where the latest object had come from or what it was used for, and it was unclear whether or not it carried any kind of surveillance technology.
On Friday, the Pentagon refused to disclose any further details on the object, stating only that American pilots that flew above to investigate it concluded that it didn't seem to be manned. The item was considerably smaller than the balloon from last week, officials claimed, adding that it did not seem to be able to manoeuvre and was moving at a much lower height.
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According to Kirby, Biden was advised by the Pentagon that the threat presented by the uav was serious enough to justify shooting it down, especially due to the danger it posed to civilian aircraft.
Press secretary for the United States Department of Defense, General Pat Ryder, told reporters on Friday that an F-22 fighter aircraft based at Alaska's Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson shot down the object using the same type of AIM-9X short-range air-to-air missile that was used to shoot down the balloon seven days ago.
(With inputs from PTI)
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