Key takeaways:
- The object shot down in Canadian airspace was a “small, metallic balloon with a tethered payload below it.”
- China has reported that high-altitude balloons belonging to the United States had flown over its airspace without permission more than 10 times since early last year.
- The Pentagon has yet to provide further details on the objects shot down in recent days.
The Pentagon has released new details on an unidentified flying object that was shot down in Canadian airspace on Saturday. According to a memo sent to lawmakers on Monday, the object was a “small, metallic balloon with a tethered payload below it.”
The memo also states that the object crossed near “US sensitive sites” before it was shot down. In response to the incident, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a regular news briefing that it is not rare for U.S. balloons to illegally enter other countries’ airspace. He added that China reserves the right to use “any necessary means” to deal with such situations.
The Pentagon also revealed that the object shot down over Lake Huron in Michigan on Sunday “subsequently slowly descended” into the water after impact. The new details come as lawmakers on Capitol Hill are pressing to gain a better understanding of why the Biden administration shot down three unidentified objects in recent days.
China has reported that high-altitude balloons belonging to the United States had flown over its airspace without permission more than 10 times since early last year. It is unclear if the objects shot down by the Biden administration were related to these balloons.
The Pentagon has yet to provide further details on the objects shot down in recent days. It is also unclear if the objects posed any threat to the United States or its allies. Lawmakers are continuing to press the Biden administration for more information.
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