Yet another “object” has been shot down in US airspace, marking the fourth this month. This latest – as of yet unidentified – was first noted 70 miles north of the American border on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 12. As it passed into the nation over Lake Huron, Michigan, F-15 fighter jets were scrambled to take it down.
What We Know and What We Don’t
Government sources say that the object was flying at roughly 20,000 feet, a height lower than the previous three incursions. It was not deemed a “military threat,” but because of its altitude could have posed problems with commercial flight paths.
After the entity was shot down off the coast of South Carolina – following its transnational data-gathering expedition – authorities were quick to describe it as a spy balloon. The further sightings and shootings have not been so quickly identified… at least not to the public.
General Glen VanHerck, the man responsible for safeguarding US airspace, pointed out that the military had not yet been able to identify what the three most recent objects were, or their origins (China claimed ownership of the first balloon, but insisted it was for weather data collection).
VanHerck explained how the US had adjusted its radar capabilities in order to track slower-moving objects. They are called “objects, not balloons, for a reason,” he said, noting that he did not yet know how the devices stayed aloft. In answer to a question about the possibility of extra-terrestrial origins, the General dodged with, “I’ll let the intel community and the counterintelligence community figure that out. I haven’t ruled out anything.”
An Unknown Danger
(Photo by Chris McDill/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“You can be sure that if any American interests or people are at risk, they will take appropriate action,” Majority Senate Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told ABC on Sunday before this fourth object was identified. This sentiment is echoed by other administration officials who have made efforts to insist that no significant risk is posed by the intrusions. However, as Liberty Nation noted, “More frightening is the thought that the same balloon could have been carrying a small nuclear device.”
Author Dave Patterson pointed out that an ariel balloon could easily carry a nuclear EMP device. “Electromagnetic pulses (EMP) are generated by detonating a nuclear weapon in the atmosphere... The higher the altitude the air burst takes place, the wider the area the effects are felt.” Essentially, such a detonation could wipe out every transistor within its radius.
Changing Tactics
It is both clear and admitted that prior to this swath of unidentified objects entering US airspace, the people tasked with monitoring were looking for a very different type of threat. That radar systems had to be recalibrated to account for slow-moving flight patterns indicates that such incursions could have been taking place undetected for years.
Although China has not claimed ownership of the latest objects, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a Monday morning briefing that the US was also engaged in sending spy balloons through other nations’ airspace. “The first thing the US needs to do is change its ways and reflect on itself, and not to smear and incite confrontation,” Wang warned.
Reluctance from the government to inform the public regarding the nature of this threat, or indeed provide details about the origins, should be cause for concern. The United States arguably has the strongest and most capable military in the world, and yet it is geared toward a high-tech enemy. If nothing else, these incursions have highlighted a potential blind spot in the security of the nation.
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