The White House has announced that a high-altitude object, potentially a drone, has been shot down over Alaska today.

Spokesman John Kirby stated that the object was the size of a small car and was in a sparsely populated area at the time of the incident.

President Joe Biden made the decision to shoot down the object, which was of unknown origin, based on the information available to him, say the White House in a news release.

It is understood that the object was travelling at 40,000ft and posed a reasonable threat to civilian aircraft, according to Mr. Kirby.

It should be noted that this incident follows the recent shooting down of a Chinese balloon over US territorial waters last Saturday. The object over Alaska crash landed in US waters that are currently frozen, and its debris field is understood to be much smaller than the balloon shot down last week off the coast of South Carolina. U.S. personnel are currently recovering the object.

Intelligence officials became aware of the object on Thursday evening, and Mr. Kirby stated that the fighter jet that approached the object assessed there was nobody onboard.

At this time, the origin of the object remains unknown and it is not known if it is state-owned, corporate-owned, or privately-owned.

With regard to sovereign airspace, it is important to note that every sovereign nation has the right to defend its airspace and protect its citizens. The United States, like any other country, has the right to take necessary measures to protect its national security and the safety of its citizens, particularly when there is a reasonable threat to civilian aircraft.

George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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53 COMMENTS

  1. I wonder!

    First Laser Weapon For A Fighter Delivered To The Air Force

    “The news came today when Lockheed Martin disclosed that at least one of the weapons, which it developed, has been delivered to the Air Force for test work. This effort falls within the wider framework of still-evolving plans to have laser-armed fighter jets that can engage enemy missiles, and possibly other targets too.”

    LINK

    • Son of next?

      MBDA and its partners in the DragonFire consortium have successfully carried out the first static high-power laser firing of a sovereign UK capability at the Dstl’s range in Porton Down on 17th October 2022.

      LINK

    • And not too far off it seems.

      “As a core member of the industry team developing the Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator (SHiELD) system for the U.S. Air Force, we’re developing critical components of an airborne laser pod including the high-energy laser and other subsystems that will be demonstrated ahead of a program of record in the mid-2020s.

      And we’re just getting started.”

    • Just read that these balloons are costing 500k a missile to take down. This could get expensive quickly and China knows it. I would think putting a laser weapon on a commercial airframe could be a good move if this becomes persistent.

    • “Combat lasers would be an improvement over missile-based systems because of the lower cost per shot.

      The lasers could be fired for about $1-5 per shot for the cost of the energy and the wear and tear on the system. A well-maintained laser and power source could fire tens of thousands of times versus a large truck loaded with perhaps dozens to a hundred missiles that cost $10k-100k a piece to fire.”

    • About the size of a car apparently so my moneys on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang or a cheap Chinese knockoff version of it anyway. I guess we’ll find out when Dick Van Dyke turns up dressed as a Chinese chimney sweep.

      • It is interesting that they are using F22’s rather than anything else to shoot these down.

        I wonder if the issue is that they have very faint radar signature so only F22 can get a target acquisition and then guide the missile in?

        It could be one reason the Chinese are using them as they are low observability and low cost?

        • I think only the F22 can comfortably reach those altitudes, and its radar is good at detecting and tracking targets with low radar cross sections. Plus they probably try and get a visual before launching a sidewinder. 👍

    • It’s been claimed an official said it ‘wasn’t a balloon’ in reply to a question that had referred to it ‘as a balloon’. Make of that what you will. Personally I suspect it’s a Russian hypersonic missile performing beyond its expected design limits, after all some of the film released purporting to be hypersonic missiles have proven not to be hypersonic missiles at all, while other film of Zircon launches clearly show a missile that looks in the visible portion shown, uncannily identical to its predecessor so maybe this ‘drone’ is the size of a small car because its really a Trabant.

      • Do you think Putin knows his hypersonic weapons are just movie props?

        I can imagine a hole bunch of Russian generals getting pretty rich by selling him the concept then just repackaging old Soviet crap.

        Kinzhal just 1970’s tech firing an SRBM from and aircraft but Zircon just looked way too sci-fi for the Orcs to build.

    • Technically it is, as it is unidentified. If it is a “UFO” or something exotic, then I’m surprised they even reported it.
      They’re called UAP now.

      • Apparently it was behaving in an unusual manner so the ‘excuse’ to down it was for airline safety. According to reports it was a silver, cylindrical shaped object the size of a car. The thing I find odd about the reports is look back to the other day with the balloon incident, the us government were quick to blame Chinese intelligence gathering for the reason it was shot down and had ready available pictures to show it. This one so far there is nothing and the reports so far have been conflicting, it shattered into thousands of pieces on impact with water. The next is it was shot down over ice and a c130 recovery team is out to scoop it up.

        • Strange… Were there any pieces left to shatter if it was hit by a missile? Balloon encased in a thin/solar shell? Glider? Hard to imagine it being powered conventionally at all.

          There have been concepts of a solar-powered stratospheric glider around for a while. NASA have testing such for scientific studies but something so large would probably have a bigger radar signature than a balloon. “Normal” weather balloons are tough targets to spot – and hence are supposed to carry transponders if the payload is above a certain limit.

          • At the moment very conflicting reports, originally when it broke was some sort of UAV. But the lack of real information and the fact a recovery team already on station might indicate some sort of test? Maybe it went wrong and needed disposing of. Other than that russian or Chinese? They’ve been quiet so far maybe after the balloon are worried about any escalation. The only other avenue is it’s an actual UAP? Spooky

      • Chariots of the gods as I recall is worth reading.

        After moving from London close to the North Pennines three years ago I saw something in the early hours while walking one of my dogs who is anti-social with other dogs.

        It resembled a satellite which I see quite often along with shooting stars. What was odd about it was the speed of travel, not an aircraft (no sound) or any of the above.

        No light pollution as we were outside the village and in the open countryside and no noise either apart from the odd passing car if at all.

        Really quite bizarre.

          • Awesome scenery where you live Nigel, good for you.
            Debunkers will say you saw Venus, you know differently of course as you were there, they were not.

            I had a similar sighting. In Ufology they are described as LITS “Lights in the Sky” and are very common, account for most sightings, and usually misidentifications, Chinese Lanterns, and so on.

            Mine was also as a Satellite, slow, steady progress across the sky, as they do. Then it actually stopped, then resumed course at a greater speed, got faster still, and vanished.

            Who knows what is up there. I know many believe there are space assets of the USSPCOM that are not acknowledged, and these might be something along those lines.

            I’m open minded concerning the subject.

  6. I expect the aliens will get pissed off with the Pentagon deciding to get territorial over control of NORAD airspace and start shooting down their UAP drones.

    Maybe its time everybody came clean about what they know of the alien threat. The Americans have been debunking UFOs for at least 70 years, clearly because the USAF cannot secure their airspace from these things.

    Anybody who is interested could read Timothy Good’s excellent book “Above Top Secret” which details hundreds of declassified military encounters with UFOs

    • Yes, that is the “Bible” of Ufology, although Richard Dolans 3 huge tomes are even more impressive.
      I got my UTS copy signed by Tim in the early 90s at one of his talks.
      He wrote a sequel “Beyond Top Secret” but I prefer the original.
      I recommend Stanton Friedmans books too David.

      In my opinion, they will never come completely clean, look at the panic over toilet rolls during Covid FFS! Some claim there is a very gradual policy of release to get mankind used to the idea so the shock is not as great.

      Wrong forum mate!

      • Well George started it off Daniele!

        Yes you are right, it is the wrong forum. So I will just recount one of my famous anecdotes – and then leave it

        Way back, I worked for an aerospace company. One year at the Xmas party I was seated next to an old exRAF guy, complete with the obigatory huge handlebar moustache. It turned out he was once Vulcan aircrew, and he recounted his flight’s experience one dark night at RAF Marham.

        ” During the Cuba missile crisis we used to sit on the runway with fully bombed-up Vulcans, waiting for the go. Every hour we had to start the engines and run them for 5 minutes to keep them warm. We were in the middle of the warm-up and running through the check list when one of these things came over very low, the engines died and so did the electrics. I looked at the control tower and that was dark too. The UFO hit the runway in front of us and bounced, then skidded to a halt showering sparks everywhere and sat there 3 or 400 yards away in front of us!”

        Well this got my attention – “what happened next?” I asked

        Handlebar replied ” It sat there fizzling for ages while we tried to get the electrics on and run the engines. Then the bombardier came up and told the skipper that the bombs were all dead and he wouldn’t be able to arm them! After a bit the power came back and a USAF lorry drove past and threw a tarpaulin or something over the UFO. We had to disembark and later we were all – separately – debriefed. I was told that the incident never happened and if I ever mentioned it to anyone, the OSA would be invoked and my career would be over”

        There you have it, to the best of my recollection. I did ask him whether he could see any insignia on the craft, but he couldn’t remember. I’m not surprised that there’s a classic “UFO flap” on, they do seem to happen when major wars are underway between nuclear powers.

        • “I’m not surprised that there’s a classic “UFO flap” on, they do seem to happen when major wars are underway between nuclear powers.”

          Concur, pretty standard if one knows the history of the subject. Electric, engine, battery failures all common too.

          I have no stories as detailed as that. My contribution is that when I was a Postman I delivered for several years to an aviation author, who was an ex MoD official who worked in Main Building next door to DIAS / DI55. He confirmed lots, said it was common knowledge on their floor.

          Anyone who has read up on this subject should be aware of DI55. The P&SS at Rudloe were the errand boys, and as for Nick Pope at AS2A, deary me.

          • Apparently Nick Pope used to have a huge, detailed pic of a classic UFO mounted on the wall over his desk. Eventually it un-nerved the management and a senior grade came down and asked him to remove it.

            Nick was a UFO believer, but eventually he had to leave AS2A and the MoD. Mainly because (as I do) he saw UFOs as a clear military threat to RAF control of UK airspace and regarded their obvious surveillance activities as a “reconnaissance in force”

          • MoD official line since 1980 “No defence significance”

            Good to see another poster here with this interest, David.
            👍

          • Ha, I knew it would be that photo. There has been a lot of mud thrown at that photograph.
            If it is genuine it is unlike any FT type I have seen.

            “Mainly because (as I do) he saw UFOs as a clear military threat to RAF control of UK airspace”

            Then Dereck Sheffield’s book on the Belgian Wave and the FTs then flying into UKADR ( tracked by Neatishead ) will interest you, If you’ve not already read it.

            Similar flew over RAF Cosford in 93.

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