Washington, D.C. (AP) — A U.S. fighter jet shot down an “unidentified object” over Lake Huron on Sunday on orders from President Joe Biden.
It was the fourth such downing in eight days. Pentagon officials believe the latest military strike in an extraordinary chain of events over U.S. airspace has no peacetime precedent.
The head of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command, Gen. Glen VanHerck, says part of the reason for the repeated shootdowns is a “heightened alert” following a spy balloon from China that emerged over U.S. airspace in late January.
According to a senior administration official, the object was octagonal, with strings hanging off, but had no discernable payload. It was flying low at about 20,000 feet, said the official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.