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The Pentagon remains uncertain about the nature and purpose of the last three aerial objects that have been successfully neutralized over American and Canadian territories since Friday. While these objects are distinct from the previously acknowledged spy aircraft, like the one brought down near South Carolina on February 4, their method of levitation and movement remains unclear. General Glen VanHerck, the commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), expressed his uncertainty during a media briefing on Sunday, refraining from classifying them as mere balloons.
"I hesitate to label them as balloons," he stated. "We refer to them as objects deliberately. I am unable to determine their levitation mechanism."
Following the briefing, a defense official added that there was no evidence suggesting extraterrestrial or alien involvement in these recent interceptions.
Previously, when asked about the possibility, General VanHerck had declined to dismiss it, stating, "I'll leave it to the intelligence community and the counterintelligence community to investigate."
The latest unidentified object, intercepted and destroyed on Sunday over Lake Huron, marks the fourth aerial entity brought down within North American airspace in less than two weeks. A senior administration official described the object earlier in the day as an octagonal structure with hanging strings, but no recognizable payload.
General VanHerck described the objects intercepted on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as sharing similar dimensions and shapes. However, due to the high speeds at which fighter jets engage them, approximately 200 mph, obtaining a detailed description becomes challenging when compared to relatively stationary objects.
Unlike the spy balloon attributed to the People's Republic of China that was brought down on February 4, which had a definitive identity, the three recent objects remain enigmatic, as emphasized by Melissa Dalton, the assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and hemispheric affairs, during Sunday's briefing.
"The spy balloon from the PRC was, of course, distinguishable because we knew exactly what it was," she clarified.
The Pentagon confirmed on Sunday afternoon that the latest object was neutralized by an F-16 fighter jet firing an AIM9x missile at approximately 2:42 p.m., while flying at an altitude of roughly 20,000 feet.
President Joe Biden authorized the action based on the recommendations of military leaders, who expressed concerns about the object's trajectory and altitude posing potential risks to civilian aviation. Although it was deemed non-threatening to national security, it had the potential for surveillance capabilities, according to the statement.
On Saturday evening, NORAD and U.S. Northern Command dispatched fighter aircraft to investigate an anomalous radar reading in the airspace over Montana. However, they were unable to visually confirm the presence of any objects.
General VanHerck mentioned on Sunday that the recurring anomaly during the night prompted military officials to devise a strategy, ultimately leading them to track the object to Lake Huron.
"We received the go-ahead to engage the target, and it was successfully neutralized approximately 15 nautical miles east of the Upper Peninsula, within Lake Huron," the general reported.
According to the Pentagon's statement on Sunday, NORAD was able to visually and radar-track the anomaly. "Based on its flight trajectory and available data, we can reasonably link this object to the radar signal detected over Montana, which flew in proximity to sensitive Department of Defense (DOD) installations," the statement explained.
The chosen location for interception aimed to minimize risks to individuals on the ground and increase the likelihood of debris recovery. There have been no reports of harm or impact on civilians, as stated in the release.
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