The most recent flying object, an "octagonal structure," was shot down over Lake Huron in Michigan.
In barely two weeks, the US military has shot down a fourth flying object over North American airspace. It's unclear what the most recent item to come down was, but according to officials, nothing is presently being ruled out, not even extraterrestrials.
The flying object was detected by radar on February 11 over Montana before being brought down by an air-to-air missile on February 12 over Lake Huron, according to the Pentagon.
It was determined to be a "threat to civil aviation" when it was seen flying at a height of around 6,096 meters (20,000 feet).
The most recent flying object has strings tied to it and has been characterized as an "octagonal structure." The fourth flying item is allegedly distinct from the previous balloon that was sent into North American airspace last week, but officials won't be able to identify it with certainty until they have thoroughly examined the wreckage.
The military sent out a task group to find the item and investigate it in an effort to learn more about its history and intended use.
But for now, it's still a mystery. General Glen VanHerck, commander of NORAD and the US Northern Command, was questioned about the possibility that the aircraft was an alien at a news conference. I haven't ruled anything out at this time, he said, according to the Associated Press.
“I believe this is the first time within United States or American airspace that NORAD or United States Northern Command has taken kinetic action against an airborne object,” he added.
A Chinese high-altitude balloon was discovered in North American airspace on January 28, sparking the start of the story. The balloon was shot down off the coast of South Carolina on February 4. The US and Canada claimed the balloon was used for espionage, but China said it was meant for meteorological research and had accidentally deviated from its intended path.
Three other airborne objects have already been shot down after flying into North American airspace. According to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, an aerial item that has been likened to an airship was shot down over the isolated northern shore of Alaska on Friday, and a smaller balloon was shot down over Canada's Yukon on Saturday.
In yet another bizarre turn of events, China has now charged the US with "illegally" entering its airspace more than ten times since January 2022. Additionally, there are rumors that China is getting ready to fire down an unidentified "object" that is reportedly above the seas close to the Jianggezhuang Naval Base in Qingdao.
Relations between the US and China have soured as a result of this bizarre turn of events, and US Secretary of Official Anthony Blinken's scheduled state visit to China—the first by a top US diplomat since 2018—has been postponed.