Unidentified flying object shot down over northern Canada
Posted February 11, 2023 1:09 pm.
Last Updated February 11, 2023 6:16 pm.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the unidentified flying object over northern Canada has been shot down.
“I ordered the takedown of an unidentified flying object that violated Canadian airspace,” Trudeau said in a Tweet. “Canadian and U.S. aircraft were scrambled, an a U.S. F-22 successfully fired at the object”
I ordered the take down of an unidentified object that violated Canadian airspace. @NORADCommand shot down the object over the Yukon. Canadian and U.S. aircraft were scrambled, and a U.S. F-22 successfully fired at the object.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) February 11, 2023
Trudeau says he spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden this afternoon about the object. He adds the Canadian military will now recover and analyze the wreckage.
Related Article: China accuses US of indiscriminate use of force over balloon
At a news conference, Defence Minister Anita Anand says the object appears to be cylindrical, and smaller than the balloon that was shot down off the coast of North Carolina last week.
“The object was shot down at approximately 3:41 p.m. eastern standard time over Central Yukon at about 40,000 feet,” Anand said. “We are recovering the object to discover more details including the shape and size, so we will have more details in the days to come.
Anand says this is the first time NORAD shot down an object in Canadian airspace.
“I think the importance of today’s successful mission underscores the functionality of NORAD. The only bi-national command in the world that has kept us safe for 40 years or more and our government announced last year that we will be modernizing and upgrading our continental defence including NORAD,” Anand said.
Anand says there is no concern for public safety after the incident and wouldn’t speculate on the origins of the object.
It comes at a time of heightened tensions after a Chinese spy balloon flew over Canada and the continental U.S. last week. That balloon was eventually shot down by the Americans off the coast of the Carolinas.
Another object was spotted flying over Alaska on Friday (Feb. 10), and was quickly shot down by the U.S. air force.
