On a brisk February 12, 2023 afternoon, the quiet expanse over Lake Huron was shattered by the roar of a U.S. F-16 fighter jet as it engaged and shot down an airborne object deemed a flight hazard, marking the third consecutive day of such incidents over North American skies.
This “unidentified object” was initially detected hovering over Montana and subsequently monitored by the government. With concerns mounting over the potential for these objects to jeopardize commercial aviation due to their flight altitudes, the decision was made to neutralize the threat.
“The object has been downed by pilots from the U.S. Air Force and National Guard,” Representative Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., confirmed through a tweet.
The Pentagon press secretary, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder emphasized that the object shot down over Lake Huron posed no kinetic military threat. Still, its trajectory and potential surveillance capabilities were concerning enough to warrant its takedown.
“We did not assess it to be a kinetic military threat to anything on the ground, but assess it was a safety flight hazard and a threat due to its potential surveillance capabilities.
Our team will now work to recover the object to learn more,” Ryder said. The object was described as “octagonal” with strings hanging off and no discernible payload, flying at approximately 20,000 feet, which sparked apprehension about the safety of civilian aircraft despite it posing no immediate military danger.
While smaller and lower flying than the Chinese balloon, these airborne oddities have manifested as a diverse array of shapes and sizes—from an airship to a smaller balloon—and their origins remain unsurprisingly. “We have been more closely scrutinizing our airspace at these altitudes, including enhancing our radar, which may at least partly explain the increase,” said Melissa Dalton, assistant defense secretary for homeland defense.
The U.S. and Canadian authorities have moved swiftly, enacting temporary airspace restrictions to address these anomalies. Officials have remained tight-lipped about the specifics of these aerial objects, providing few details beyond basic descriptions.“Our national security and safety is always a top priority. I’ve been in contact with the federal government and our partners who were tracking an object near our airspace. I’m glad to report it has been swiftly, safely, and securely taken down,” the Democrat tweeted. “The @MINationalGuard stands ready.”
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