WASHINGTON — The Pentagon shot down an unidentified object over icy waters around Alaska on Friday at the behest of President Biden, according to US officials, less than a week after a fighter jet of the United States shot down a Chinese spy balloon over the Atlantic.
John Kirby, a White House spokesman, confirmed the incident at a news conference on Friday.
US officials said they could not immediately confirm whether the object was a balloon, but that it was traveling at an altitude that made it a potential threat to civilian aircraft.
Republicans have called the Biden administration weak for not taking down Chinese spy balloon as it hovered over Montana last week, a move that Pentagon generals have advised against taking for fear that debris could hurt those on the ground.
On Friday, Mr. Kirby said that Mr. Biden ordered the shooting down of the unidentified object near Alaska “out of an abundance of caution.”
A US official said the government did not know who owned or sent the object.
The object fell into the Arctic Ocean near the northeastern border of Alaska and Canada. The object passed over land in Alaska before fighter jets knocked it down. Mr. Kirby said the pilots confirmed the object was unmanned before bringing it down.
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Mr. Kirby said the object was moving at an altitude of 40,000 feet. He said officials are describing it as an object because that’s the best description they have of it.
“President Biden ordered the military to take down the object, and they did,” Mr. Kirby said.
A US official said there was “no confirmed indication of a military threat” to people on the ground from the downed object. Officials said they could not confirm whether there were any monitoring devices on the object.
Mr. Kirby said efforts to recover debris would be made. The object, he said, is “nearly the size of a small car” – much smaller than a spy ball that can carry the weight of many buses.
The action comes less than a week after a US fighter jet shot down a Chinese spy balloon that flew over the US, according to three US officials.
One official described the latest situation as “fast-moving” and still evolving. The official said it was unclear whether the object was from a hostile force or a commercial or research operation that went astray.
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Michael P. Mulroy, a former Pentagon official, said shooting down the object in Alaska was the appropriate course of action.
“If it’s another Chinese spy balloon, that shows China’s incompetence in operating these platforms or the ability to deliberately provoke the United States,” Mulroy said. “It is important for the US and China to maintain direct contact in times like these. Especially among the military.”
The breach was relatively short, according to officials, which is one reason they were unable to immediately determine what type of object was involved.
The transit of the Chinese spy balloon last week, which ended with it being shot down by an F-22 fighter jet Saturday off the coast of South Carolina, stunned the American public. The White House has been criticized by some Republican lawmakers for not immediately shooting down the balloon, but President Biden has said he is acting on the recommendation of military officials, who say Please wait until the balloon is above the water before destroying it to minimize any risk. for the people on the ground.
Pentagon officials said the balloon posed no threat and that keeping it in the air any longer gave the US military time to study it, including sending in a U-2 spy plane. take a high-resolution photo of its device.
In internal discussions, some US officials have urged options to shoot down the balloon sooner. Officials also looked into whether the military could use giant nets or hooks to bring down the balloons.
US officials say the spy balloons are part of a fleet led by the Chinese military that has flown over more than 40 countries on five continents in recent years. Officials said the balloons are manufactured by one or more civilian-run companies that officially sell products to the military, although the Biden administration has not publicly identified the company that manufactured the affected balloons. shot down.
US officials said a balloon that drifted into Latin America last week was also part of China’s surveillance program.
The New York Times reported last Saturday that a classified intelligence report sent to Congress last month highlighted at least two cases. a foreign power using advanced technology for aerial surveillance of American military bases, one inside the continental United States and the other overseas. Research shows China is a foreign power, US officials say.
The report details a recent government review of unidentified aerial phenomena and, in that context, discussed earlier stages of surveillance balloons as well as objects. other flight.
Adam Entous And Michael D. Cut contribution report.
