US military shoots down another unidentified flying object in fourth incident within eight days

12 February 2023, 21:04 | Updated: 12 February 2023, 21:24

Pilots from the US air force shot down yet another unidentified flying object over its territory in the latest mysterious sighting.

Michigan Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin told the Reuters news agency that pilots from the Air Force and National Guard shot down the object on Sunday.

It's the third shoot-down in three days and the fourth in just over a week.

The latest targeting comes after a days-long saga surrounding a Chinese weather balloon that saw the US Secretary of State cancel his trip to China.

Read more: US shoots down third unauthorised high-altitude object in seven days, Justin Trudeau confirms

Read more: 'I would shoot down a Chinese spy balloon' Ben Wallace says as US says more have flown around globe

China threatens response after US shoots down spy balloon

Officials who spoke on condition of anonymity declined to offer details to Reuters about the latest object's appearance.

They also did not say whether it was manoeuvrable or simply floating with air currents.

Congressman Slotkin wrote: "The object has been downed by pilots from the US Air Force and National Guard.

"Great work by all who carried out this mission both in the air and back at headquarters. We’re all interested in exactly what this object was and [its] purpose."

On Saturday an American fighter jet shot down what appeared to be a weather balloon over Canadian airspace after a conversation between President Biden and Prime Minister Trudeau.

That incident came two days after US planes took similar action over Alaska and it is the third high-altitude object to be shot down by the US in seven days.

On Twitter, Mr Trudeau said: "I ordered the take down of an unidentified object that violated Canadian airspace. @NORADCommand shot down the object over the Yukon.

"Canadian and US aircraft were scrambled, and a US F-22 successfully fired at the object."

In a second tweet, Mr Trudeau said: "I spoke with President Biden this afternoon. Canadian Forces will now recover and analyse the wreckage of the object. Thank you to Norad for keeping the watch over North America."

A suspected Chinese spy balloon had been flying through Canadian and American airspace when it was shot down by a US war plane last Sunday.

On Friday, the US shot down a second object in Alaskan airspace, though it is unclear at this stage what the object was.

The object was flying at about 40,000ft on Friday and posed a "reasonable threat" to the safety of civilian flights, said John Kirby, White House National Security Council spokesman.

According to US Northern Command, recovery operations continued on Saturday both near Deadhorse, Alaska, and off South Carolina.

In a statement, the Northern Command said there were no new details on what the object was that a US fighter jet shot down over Alaska.

"Arctic weather conditions, including wind chill, snow, and limited daylight, are a factor in this operation, and personnel will adjust recovery operations to maintain safety," the statement said.

"Recovery activities are occurring on sea ice."

This caller says anyone hesitant to send military arms to Ukraine should be 'embarrassed'