The US has shot down a high-altitude object over Alaska on Feb 10, 2023, at 1.45 PM EST. The object, at 40,000 feet, was posing a risk to civilian flights, the Air Force said.
At the direction of President Joe Biden, an F-22 fighter jet from the Northern Command brought down the object with an AIM-9X Sidewinder missile.
The object was about the size of a small car and not similar in size or shape to the surveillance balloon shot down over the coast of South Carolina on Feb 4, said Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder of the US Air Force.
On Feb 9, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) first detected the object on ground radar, and aircraft further investigated the object, he said.
While the incident nearly mirrored the downing of the alleged surveillance balloon, the origin, purpose, and capabilities of the latest airborne object are unknown.
Debris recovery operations are underway.
Meanwhile, the debris of the alleged surveillance balloon is being recovered, and what is recovered so far is being assessed.