U.S. shoots down "high-altitude" object over Alaska
the U. S. Over Alaska. This of course follows the downing of that Chinese spy balloon last weekend. CBS News Bradley Blackburn live in our newsroom with the latest on this Bradley Andrea before it was shot down, pilots were able to get close enough to that unknown object to see that it was unmanned and drifting in the wind, but there is still a lot of mystery here and right now crews are working to pick up the pieces and get some of the information that's going to be taken. President Biden ordered the take down that was executed by an F 22 fighter jet Friday afternoon. The unknown object was spotted off the coast of Alaska Thursday night at 40 thousand feet in the air and floating northeast.
The White House says the object was about the size of a small car, unmanned and flying low enough to interfere with the potential of the White House. They say that was a key reason for the swift action. Opposed a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight. Out of an abundance of caution and the recommendation of the Pentagon, President Biden ordered the military to down the object. The strike happened over frozen Arctic waters within U. S. Territory and military aircraft were deployed to recover the remnants.
Officials say it's still unclear who was responsible. Whether it's state owned or corporate owned or privately owned, we just don't know. We will know more once we're able to potentially recover some of those materials. The White House says this latest object was smaller and less mobile than the Chinese spy balloon, which could maneuver in the air. Pieces of that balloon were recovered off the South Carolina coast and are still being investigated, but the U. S. has been able to find out more about the Chinese spy balloon.
The White House says it's been able to find out more about these companies connected to it. Has not reached out to China yet about this object, but former Defense Secretary Marcus Portell CBS News. If it is in fact Chinese, it would be a very troubling escalation. Andrea Bradley Blackburn live in our.
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