Alaska

The shootdown took place less than a week after an Air Force fighter jet shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina. John Kirby, a ...

At least one flight carrying oilfield workers was delayed, according to a scheduling announcement given to the Beacon by a worker. Like Murkowski, Sullivan criticized the federal government’s response to the earlier incident. Ryder declined to say how quickly the object was moving, but Sen. Regardless of where the threat comes from, the U.S. Follow Alaska Beacon on The object was somewhere “between a 55 gallon drum and a small Volkswagen” in size, Sullivan said. Any such development should be done only after consulting local communities, he said. Alaska Beacon maintains editorial independence. The shootdown, at 9:45 a.m. military will respond with all force necessary to eliminate it.” A fighter jet inspected it visually, Kirby said. “We will know more once we’re able to potentially recover some of those materials.

Updated February 10, 2023 at 3:46 PM ET. The U.S. military shot down a "high-altitude object" over Alaska within the last hour, said John Kirby, ...

Pat Ryder said the object was shot down by a F-22 fighter jet at 1:45 pm ET. The object landed inside U.S. He said that there have been several other objects spotted over his state in the past few weeks, and commended the Pentagon for shooting this one down to deter others. It was very purposeful, that flight path inside the jet stream." It's not yet clear what it was — the White House is describing it as a "high-altitude object." The object was first detected on Thursday night. The government doesn't know yet what it was This afternoon, an object that violated American airspace was brought down. airspace over Alaska on Jan. At a Pentagon briefing, spokesman Brig. The U.S. In this case, it's a mystery.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the aircraft 'posed a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight.'

very attuned to balloons at the moment.” The new object was “roughly the size of a small car,” Kirby said. “We’re still assessing what this object was,” Ryder told reporters at the Pentagon, adding that the U.S. Republicans have spent the past week criticizing the administration for not shooting down the Chinese balloon when it was first spotted above the Aleutian Islands near Alaska on Jan. The balloons had been spotted in more than 40 countries across five continents. “But the primary concern was the potential hazard to civil flight.” Eastern Time, one of the fighters fired an AIM-9X Sidewinder missile that hit and destroyed the object—the same aircraft-missile combination that downed the high-altitude Chinese balloon last Saturday. Pentagon spokesperson Brigadier General Pat Ryder said NORAD first detected the aircraft via ground radar Thursday and “further investigated” it as it flew in a northeasterly direction. and “posed a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight.” The incident comes less than a week after a F-22 stealth fighter jet brought down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the South Carolina coast. The military is currently conducting a recovery operation to analyze the debris field, which is scattered across snow and ice in northern Alaska. It’s not yet clear whether the aircraft that was shot down near Deadhorse, Alaska belonged to China or some other nation, Kirby said.

"I can confirm that the Department of Defense was tracking a high altitude object over Alaska airspace in the last 24 hours. The object was flying at an ...

military commanders had determined downing the balloon while over land posed an undue risk to people across a wide area due to the size and altitude of the balloon and its surveillance payload. [Pentagon spokesperson](https://www.foxnews.com/category/politics/defense/pentagon), said Friday afternoon that the military has located a significant amount of debris from the object, stating that it was shot down by an F-22 using an A9X missile out of Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. [CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP](https://www.foxnews.com/apps-products?pid=AppArticleLink) The object was flying at an altitude of 40,000 feet and posed a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight. Northern Command took down the object within the last hour." "I can confirm that the Department of Defense was tracking a high altitude object over Alaska airspace in the last 24 hours.

A bill adding criminal penalties for harassing 911 dispatchers or abusing the 911 system in Alaska is advancing in the Legislature.

Repeatedly calling 911 after being asked to stop would also be a misdemeanor. Follow Alaska Beacon on “It does happen,” he said. David Wilson, R-Wasilla, would make threatening a 911 dispatcher a Class B misdemeanor. Alaska Beacon maintains editorial independence. A bill adding criminal penalties for harassing 911 dispatchers or abusing the 911 system in Alaska is advancing closer to a vote in the state Senate after the Legislature failed to pass it last year.

John Kirby, portavoz del Consejo de Seguridad Nacional de EEUU, confirmó este viernes que el presidente Joe Biden ordenó el derribo de un “objeto a gran altitud ...

El análisis de dos expertos a Infobae](/america/medio-ambiente/2023/02/11/sos-incendios-forestales-por-que-el-humo-del-fuego-puede-retroalimentar-nuevos-focos/) [Existen sospechas de que el inicio de los incendios en Chubut y en Corrientes fueron intencionales. Kirby también señaló que el “objeto” tenía el tamaño de un “pequeño auto” y se desconoce si pertenecía a una nación, incluida China. Los oficiales militares determinaron que derribarlo sobre tierra desde una altitud de 60.000 pies (18.000 metros) supondría un riesgo excesivo para las personas en tierra. China insistió en que el sobrevuelo fue un accidente con una nave civil y amenazó con repercusiones. Las autoridades todavía están recuperando los restos de ese globo, derribado frente a la costa de Carolina del Sur.

“El objeto volaba a una altitud de 40mil pies y representaba una amenaza razonable para la seguridad de los vuelos civiles. Por precaución y por recomendación ...

El tamaño del objeto es similar a un automóvil pequeño según la descripción. “El objeto volaba a una altitud de 40 mil pies y representaba una amenaza razonable para la seguridad de los vuelos civiles. [como el que fue derribado la semana pasada](https://eltiempolatino.com/2023/02/03/politica/funcionarios-de-seguridad-alertan-presencia-de-globo-espia-chino/) y se atribuyó al gobierno chino, [reseñó NBC News.

Tras derribar el globo espía chino en el Atlántico, Estados Unidos informa que ha derribado un “objeto de gran altitud” en el espacio aéreo de Alaska.

No obstante, el gobierno chino afirmó que se trataba de un globo meteorológico civil que se desvió de su curso. Austin informó que este “estaba siendo utilizado por la República Popular China en un intento de vigilar sitios estratégicos en los Estados Unidos continentales”. El ‘globo espía chino’ fue derribado por aviones de combate en la costa este sobre el Océano Atlántico, justo al este de Myrtle Beach, Carolina del Sur. Kirby también señaló que Estados Unidos no se refiere a este objeto como un globo y aún no ha sido atribuido a China o a cualquier otra entidad. Según Kirby, los aviones de combate asignados al Comando Norte de Estados Unidos derribaron el objeto “en la última hora”, señaló a las 2:30 p. “El objeto volaba a una altitud de 40,000 pies y representaba una amenaza razonable para la seguridad de los vuelos civiles.

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), today released the following statement after an ...

“I appreciated the senior Defense Department officials who briefed me this morning on the sighting of this latest object. These exceptional Americans have been working overtime on this challenge, including not just tracking and intercepting this latest incursion, but also the Chinese spy balloon from last week, and several other unidentified flying objects over Alaska in the past few weeks. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), today released the following statement after an unidentified object flying in Alaska airspace was shot down by a U.S.

Un caza estadounidense derribó el viernes un objeto no identificado sobre Alaska, aunque se desconocen tanto la finalidad como el origen del aparato.

Los aviones de combate asignados al Comando Norte de los EEUU derribaron el objeto" "No sabemos quién es el dueño, si es estatal o corporativo", dijo. El incidente se produjo en las últimas horas, dijo, aproximadamente a las 1:00 pm, hora del este de EEUU. Kirby subrayó que aún no se sabe nada sobre el objeto. El Pentágono envió un avión para observar el objeto antes de que fuera derribado y "la evaluación del piloto fue que no estaba tripulado". Biden ordena el derribo de un objeto que volaba sobre Alaska, a días del incidente del "globo espía" chino

Spokesman John Kirby said the unmanned object was "the size of a small car" and was over a sparsely populated area at the time. President Joe Biden took the ...

"The president takes his obligations to protect our national security interests as paramount." Mr Kirby said the object did not appear to have the manoeuvrable capability like the Chinese balloon and seemed to be "virtually at the whim of the wind". Spokesman John Kirby said the unmanned object was "the size of a small car" and was over a sparsely populated area at the time.

White House, Pentagon officials say object posed potential threat to civilian aircraft, note key differences between it and Chinese spy balloon downed last ...

U.S. The U.S. The incursion into U.S. A U.S. state of South Carolina, after it had traveled over much of the country. Pentagon and White House officials said U.S. “We're calling this an object because that's the best description we have right now,” Kirby added. “We’re hopeful that we’ll be successful and then we can learn a little bit more about it." “We have no further details about the object at this time, including any description of its capabilities, purpose or origin.” "We do not know who owns it. airspace late Thursday and was tracked by U.S. Northern Command as it moved over the skies of northeastern Alaska, staying consistently at about 12,000 meters (40,000 feet).

A U.S. military fighter jet shot down an unknown object flying off the coast of Alaska on Friday on orders from President Joe Biden, White House officials ...

Military officials determined that bringing it down over land from an altitude of 60,000 feet would pose an undue risk to people on the ground. He was advised that the best time for the operation would be when it was over water. shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America. The Pentagon on Friday declined to provide a more precise description of the object, only saying that U.S. Ahead of the the shoot-down, the Federal Aviation Administration restricted flights over a roughly 10-square mile area within U.S. Officials couldn’t say if the unknown object downed Friday contained any surveillance equipment, where it came from or what purpose it had.

Kirby described the object as roughly the size of a small car, much smaller than the massive suspected Chinese spy balloon downed by Air Force fighter jets ...

[balloon was part of a large surveillance program](https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-south-carolina-china-dfa08f4f47a58a638d4ef1d3a34b2a8b) that China has been conducting for "several years," the Pentagon has said. Military officials determined that bringing it down over land from an altitude of 60,000 feet would pose an undue risk to people on the ground. has said Chinese balloons have flown over dozens of countries across five continents in recent years, and it learned more about the balloon program after closely monitoring the one shot down near South Carolina. He was advised that the best time for the operation would be when it was over water. The official was not authorized to speak publicly about sensitive national security matters and spoke on condition of anonymity. China insisted the flyover was an accident involving a civilian craft and threatened repercussions. government agencies to make sure it did not belong to any of them, and had confidence it was not a U.S. The Pentagon on Friday declined to provide a more precise description of the object, only saying that U.S. After the object was detected Thursday, NORAD — North American Aerospace Defense Command —sent F-35s to observe it, a U.S. Asked about the object's downing, Biden on Friday said only that “It was a success.” airspace off Alaska's Bullen Point, the site of a disused U.S. Later Friday, the Pentagon said: “Recovery is happening in a mix of ice and snow.

A U.S. official said the object was cylindrical and did not appear to have surveillance equipment.

The agency noted that the People’s Liberation Army is using high-altitude balloons “for intelligence and reconnaissance activities.” Patrick Ryder said after the military determined the object was not manned, one of the two F-22 jets fired a Sidewinder missile to take it down. for a week before the fighter jet shot it down over water. It was the same type of jet and missile that took down the spy balloon last Saturday. One senior administration official, who also asked to remain anonymous, said that once the military finds whatever is left of the object, a better identification might be possible. The Commerce Department announced that U.S. “We’ll attempt recovery and see what we can learn more from.” Efforts are underway to attempt to recover the debris where it fell onto a frozen region of territorial waters. The object was spotted Thursday night and the president was briefed shortly after. Northern Command on Friday scrambled two F-22 fighter jets to intercept the object over northeastern part of Alaska, near Canada. official said on the condition of anonymity to discuss a rapidly changing situation. “They need to see it up close, it’s so small.

“Today's announcement by the Pentagon that an unidentified object was shot down by an F-22 from Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson over Alaska's coastline raises ...

Alaska is truly on the front lines. This incident is further evidence that the military capability of Alaska is robust. Unlike other states, Alaska is truly on the front lines.

El portavoz del Departamento de Defensa de EE.UU., John Kirby, dijo que el objeto era "del tamaño de un auto pequeño", y se movilizaba sobre un área levemente ...

Según Kirby, el objeto no parecía tener la capacidad de maniobra del globo de vigilancia chino. El objeto fue visto por primera vez la noche del jueves, aunque los funcionarios no especificaron una hora. Los funcionarios de inteligencia se dieron cuenta del objeto el jueves por la noche, según Kirby. Fue información que estuvo disponible para Biden cuando tomó su decisión. La Casa Blanca dijo que derribó un "objeto de altitud elevada" que volaba sobre Alaska. dice que derribó un "objeto de altitud elevada" que volaba sobre Alaska

President Joe Biden ordered the military to down a "high-altitude object" hovering over Alaska on Friday, the White House announced.

After first detecting the object Thursday, the military sent F-35 fighter jets to investigate, the official said. [tweeted](https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau/status/1624166817831739406) Friday he was briefed on the shoot down of the [“high-altitude object”](https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/10/politics/biden-alaska-military-down/index.html) hovering over Alaska this afternoon and “supported the decision to take action.” [order to down a “high-altitude object” earlier Friday](https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/10/politics/biden-alaska-military-down/index.html), according to John Kirby, the National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications. The ConocoPhillips-operated Q400 (aircraft) left Anchorage on a scheduled flight at 7:19 a.m. The "high-altitude object" shot down Friday was targeted about 10 miles off the northern coast of Alaska, a US official told CNN, and the military did not deem the operation a serious risk to people on the ground. Alaska Sen. [suspected Chinese spy balloon](https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/07/politics/spy-balloon/index.html) shot down last Saturday, the official noted. Canadian PM says he was briefed on shooting down the object and "supported the decision to take action" [high-altitude object](https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/10/politics/biden-alaska-military-down/index.html)" that was shot down Friday did not appear to have any surveillance equipment, according to a US official, which would make it both smaller and likely less sophisticated than [the suspected Chinese balloon shot](https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/07/politics/spy-balloon/index.html) down last weekend. ConocoPhillips received notification through the (Federal Aviation Administration) of the restricted airspace and returned to Anchorage at 8:17 am arriving at 9:17 am. [suspected Chinese spy balloon](https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/07/politics/spy-balloon/index.html) off the coast of the Carolinas, after officials say it [drifted across a large swath of the country](https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/02/asia/us-china-spy-balloon-mission-intl-hnk-ml/index.html) after entering US airspace near Alaska. Lisa Murkowski said the shooting down of an object over Alaska on Friday was the latest example of her state's larger significance to US defense.

(CNN) -- El presidente Joe Biden declaró a CNN que el derribo de un "objeto a gran altitud" que sobrevolaba Alaska el viernes "fue un éxito".

El objeto derribado sobre Alaska era mucho más pequeño que el globo de vigilancia chino derribado el sábado sobre aguas territoriales. La carga útil del globo chino derribado el pasado sábado fue descrita por las autoridades estadounidenses como aproximadamente del tamaño de tres autobuses, mientras que el objeto derribado el viernes ha sido descrito como un coche pequeño. El objeto llamó por primera vez la atención del Gobierno estadounidense "la pasada noche". Biden fue informado por primera vez el jueves por la noche "tan pronto como el Pentágono tuvo suficiente información". "Estamos llamando a esto un objeto porque esa es la mejor descripción que tenemos en este momento. Un caza F-22 de la Base Conjunta Elmendorf, en Alaska, derribó el objeto "a la 1:45 p.m. Ryder dijo que el Departamento de Defensa no tenía detalles sobre las "capacidades, propósito u origen" del objeto. El globo derribado el sábado pasado fue descrito por funcionarios estadounidenses como del tamaño aproximado de tres autobuses. Por lo tanto, se realizará un esfuerzo de recuperación y esperamos que tenga éxito y luego podamos aprender un poco más al respecto”. “Llamamos a esto un objeto porque esa es la mejor descripción que tenemos en este momento. El primer acercamiento con aviones de combate tuvo lugar el jueves por la noche y el segundo el viernes por la mañana. Kirby también ofreció alguna guía de nomenclatura sobre el objeto, al que EE.UU.

U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) a member of the U.S. Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and the leading expert in Congress on Arctic policy and ...

“I’ve driven this point home for years, and we have now been reminded twice in the past week: Alaska is the first line of defense for America. “I am actively engaged with the Department of Defense, NORTHCOM, and ALCOM on this issue. Regardless of where the threat comes from, the U.S. “In doing so, they also let it be known: when you threaten Alaska’s sovereignty, you threaten the nation’s sovereignty. They did their job quickly, professionally, and with great precision to take down this aerial object and protect Alaskans. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) a member of the U.S.

El presidente de Estados Unidos, Joe Biden, ordenó en las últimas 24 horas disparar contra un "objeto" que estaba volando sobre el estado de Alaska, ...

It marked the second time US jets had taken down an object in less than a week, following the shooting down of a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of ...

A US official said the military waited to shoot the object down during daylight hours to make it easier for the pilots to spot it. Ryder said the mission was “supported with aerial assets from the Alaska Air National Guard.” Both brought back “limited” information about the object. “We’re calling this an object because that’s the best description we have right now,” Kirby said. “Fighter aircraft assigned to US Northern Command took down the object within last hour.” It’s unclear what the object looks like, or where it came from.

Estaba volando a una altura de 40000 pies e imponía una amenaza razonable a la seguridad a vuelos civiles, dijo John Kirby, del Consejo de Seguridad ...

China insistió en que el sobrevuelo fue accidental e involucraba un vehículo aéreo civil, y amenazó con repercusiones. El objeto estaba volando a una altura de 40,000 pies e imponía una amenaza razonable a la seguridad de civiles. Kirby tampoco sabía todavía de dónde venía ni cuál era su propósito.

The twin downings in such close succession are extraordinary, and reflect heightened concerns over China's surveillance program.

The balloon was part of a large surveillance program that China has been conducting for “several years,” the Pentagon has said. has said Chinese balloons have flown over dozens of countries across five continents in recent years, and it learned more about the balloon program after closely monitoring the one shot down near South Carolina. Military officials determined that bringing it down over land from an altitude of 60,000 feet would pose an undue risk to people on the ground. He was advised that the best time for the operation would be when it was over water. The official was not authorized to speak publicly about sensitive national security matters and spoke on condition of anonymity. shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America. government agencies to make sure it did not belong to any of them and had confidence it was not a U.S. After the object was detected Thursday, NORAD — North American Aerospace Defense Command —sent F-35s to observe it, a U.S. The Pentagon on Friday declined to provide a more precise description of the object, only saying that U.S. Later Friday, the Pentagon said: “Recovery is happening in a mix of ice and snow. Asked about the object’s downing, Biden on Friday said only that, “It was a success.” airspace off Alaska’s Bullen Point, the site of a disused U.S.

After a U.S. Air Force fighter jet shot down an unidentified object over Alaska's North Slope on Friday, Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said several other ...

The object was somewhere “between a 55 gallon drum and a small Volkswagen” in size, Sullivan said. Follow Alaska Beacon on “I join my fellow delegation members in expecting answers from our military leaders for how unidentified objects have been able to infiltrate our airspace in recent weeks,” said U.S. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said several other similar objects have traveled over the state in recent weeks. Alaska Beacon maintains editorial independence. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, in a prepared written statement.

Premier Ranj Pillai has issued the following statement: “After this day's events, our government has been in contact with the federal government and we are ...

“We will continue to track events and ensure Yukoners are kept informed.” “This past week, I met with federal representatives to discuss Arctic security, recognizing the challenges our country and territory will face in the years ahead. “After this day’s events, our government has been in contact with the federal government and we are tracking events as they unfold.

The Pentagon shot down an unknown object flying in U.S. airspace off the coast of Alaska on Friday, White House officials said.

[balloon was part of a large surveillance program](https://apnews.com/article/politics-united-states-government-south-carolina-china-dfa08f4f47a58a638d4ef1d3a34b2a8b) that China has been conducting for “several years,” the Pentagon has said. Military officials determined that bringing it down over land from an altitude of 60,000 feet would pose an undue risk to people on the ground. He was advised that the best time for the operation would be when it was over water. The official was not authorized to speak publicly about sensitive national security matters and spoke on condition of anonymity. China insisted the flyover was an accident involving a civilian craft and threatened repercussions. After the object was detected Thursday, NORAD — North American Aerospace Defense Command —sent F-35s to observe it, a U.S. Later Friday, the Pentagon said: “Recovery is happening in a mix of ice and snow. airspace off Alaska’s Bullen Point, the site of a disused U.S. Asked about the object’s downing, Biden on Friday said only that “It was a success.” Unlike the suspected spy balloon, which was downed to live feeds and got U.S. The object flew over one of the most desolate places on the nation. The Pentagon on Friday declined to provide a more precise description of the object, only saying that U.S.

An unidentified object moving over Alaskan air space was shot down by the U.S. military Friday afternoon, though Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen.

Ryder noted the effort to down the balloon was “a little bit of apples and oranges” when comparing an effort to down the object, noting the balloon was significantly larger and could carry a larger payload. Shoots Down Suspected Chinese Spy Balloon Over Atlantic](https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianbushard/2023/02/04/chinese-spy-balloon-shot-down-biden-okd-downing-updates/?sh=606d45c53935) (Forbes) Shoots Down Object Over Alaska That Posed ‘Threat,’ Pentagon Says](https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2023/02/10/us-shoots-down-object-over-alaska-that-posed-threat-pentagon-says/?sh=78f9eb156349) (Forbes) [U.S. Biden faced criticism for not shooting down the balloon when it was first detected over Alaska, contrasting the administration’s 24-hour surveillance of the object and subsequent shooting down. has “no further details” about the object’s capabilities, purpose or origin, though it did not appear to have any surveillance equipment. Pat Ryder noted little was known about the object, which officials did not indicate was connected to a suspected An unidentified object moving over Alaskan air space was shot down by the U.S. “We don’t know who owns it, whether it’s state-owned or corporate-owned or privately owned, we just don’t know.” Friday after it was first spotted traveling north east across Alaska on Thursday, Ryder Air Force shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina earlier this week, after it was seen hovering over the U.S. Both Kirby and Ryder provided limited information about the object’s physical appearance, only noting it was not similar to the Chinese balloon. The object did not appear to be “self-maneuvering” and was unmanned, Kirby said, noting the object was “at the mercy of prevailing winds.”

Fue la segunda vez que aviones estadounidenses derribaron un objeto en menos de una semana, luego del derribo de un presunto globo espía chino frente a la costa ...

Ryder dijo que la misión fue “apoyada con recursos aéreos de la Guardia Nacional Aérea de Alaska”. Un funcionario estadounidense dijo que el ejército esperó para derribar el objeto durante el día para que a los pilotos les resultara más fácil detectarlo. “Llamamos a esto un objeto porque esa es la mejor descripción que tenemos en este momento”, dijo Kirby. Este viernes, Ryder dijo que viajaba hacia el noreste a través de Alaska. No está claro cómo se ve el objeto o de dónde vino. derribó el objeto en la última hora”.

Un jet de combate estadounidense derriba un objeto volador desconocido en una costa remota en el norte de Alaska por orden del presidente Joe Biden, ...

Muy poca gente sale a la intemperie por periodos prolongados. “Vamos a estar vigilantes de nuestro espacio aéreo”, indicó Kirby. Un jet de combate estadounidense derribó el viernes un objeto volador desconocido en una costa remota en el norte de Alaska por orden del presidente Joe Biden, dijeron funcionarios de la Casa Blanca.

High-altitude object the size of a small car was downed on Friday but its owner and purpose have yet to be identified.

US officials say the balloon was part of a fleet that has been used to collect intelligence in more than 40 countries on five continents. Another official from the Department of Defense told the [New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/10/us/politics/unidentified-object-shot-down-alaska.html) that the object broke into pieces when it hit the frozen sea. From the size comparison given by officials, the object that was flying over Alaska appears to be much smaller than the Chinese spy balloon. Officials have yet to publicly give further descriptions of the object that was travelling over Alaska besides its size, altitude and speed. “It had multiple antennas to include an array likely capable of collecting and geolocating communications.” [Alaska](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/alaska) flying at an altitude of 40,000ft, about the same level as commercial planes, and was travelling at about 20 to 40 miles per hour before it was struck down. The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, “Quite honestly, the first line of defense is Alaska,” Murkowski said. Officials say the object had flown over parts of Alaska but was heading toward the north pole before it was struck down. Once spotted, officials quickly deemed the object a threat to civilian air traffic and ordered Alaska airspace to be temporarily closed. NORAD officials said that military aircraft are “currently operating from Alaska and Canada in support of [NORAD] activities”. American officials have not publicly commented on the airborne object seen near Canada.