An unidentified high-altitude object was shot down over Alaska on orders from President Biden, White House and Pentagon officials confirmed on Friday, raising new concerns regarding possible surveillance efforts by adversary nations like China.
Speaking from the White House, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby said during a press conference that the Pentagon had been tracking the object in Alaskan airspace over the last 24 hours as it traveled at an altitude of 40,000 feet.
The object was brought down after it was deemed to present “a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight,” Kirby said.
“Out of an abundance of caution and at the recommendation of the Pentagon, President Biden ordered the military to down the object, and they did,” Kirby said.
“At this point we don’t know the origin of the object,” Ryder said on Friday. Ryder confirmed that the object had been detected by ground radar stations, and was thereafter shot down following orders from the president at 1:45 pm ET.
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