U.S. Military Shoots Down High-Altitude Object Over Alaskan Airspace and Arctic Waters

The U.S. military shot down a high-altitude object on Friday afternoon over Alaskan airspace and Arctic waters, according to National Security Council official John Kirby.

Kirby told reporters during the White House briefing that the object was flying at an altitude of 40,000 feet and “posed a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight.” He added that President Joe Biden ordered the military to down the object “out of an abundance of caution, and at the recommendation of the Pentagon.”

The object, which was not identified, was shot down and came inside the U.S. territorial waters, which are currently frozen.

The National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, John Kirby, was asked about rumors of another suspected Chinese surveillance balloon when he made the announcement. However, he did not confirm or deny the rumors.

The U.S. military has not released any further information about the object or the incident. It is unclear what the object was or why it posed a threat to civilian flight. The military is expected to provide more details in the coming days.