Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation

The most credible news source in Barbados

What is ‘small car’ shot down off US?

February 11, 2023
FILE: The Pentagon said an F-22 fighter get, seen here in an archive photograph, shot down the object on Friday afternoon off the Alaskan coast. (Getty Images)

(CNN) — President Joe Biden is calling it a “success”, after the U.S. shot down a “high-altitude object” off the coast of Alaska on Friday.

Many questions remain, but the object has been described as being about the size of a small car and was first detected on Thursday.

It was assessed to be unmanned and the Pentagon press secretary said it posed a reasonable threat to civilian air traffic as it was flying at 40, 000 feet.

Pentagon spokesman brigadier general Patrick Ryder said: “We have no further details about the object at this time, including any description of its capabilities, purpose or origin.”

Military analyst, retired major general James Spider Marks said: “Could be a drone, could be a balloon could be any number of objects and we simply do not know. And the forensic will reveal all of this.”

Another big unanswered question is where the object came from, as recovery efforts get underway to retrieve what is left.

Former director of national intelligence James Clapper stated: “It would appear, though, just from its size that uh it didn’t represent the technology that apparently that was represented on the Chinese balloon.”

This comes nearly a week after U.S. fighter jets downed a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina.

The U.S. navy and coast guard are still working to recover that debris.

About The Author

Share this!