Three mysterious objects reportedly intercepted by the U.S. were suspected to be non-threatening.
The White House has stated there's no evidence suggesting the three unidentified objects that exploded in the sky over the weekend were connected to China's spying activities by the US military. Spokesperson John Kirby suggests these items might be linked to commercial or research entities and thus are likely benign.
So far, US and Canadian officials haven't located or retrieved any debris from the three downed objects. China previously accused the US of overreacting, denying one of their balloons damaged by a US fighter jet off South Carolina was involved in espionage, claiming it was a weather-monitoring aircraft that veered off-course.
When asked about China's response to the balloon saga, the White House National Security Council stated, "We haven't seen any evidence or indications pointing specifically to the suggestion that these three objects belong to China's spying program, or that they were definitively involved in external intelligence collection efforts." They added, "A leading theory being considered by US intelligence is that these might be balloons tied to commercial or research entities and as a result, benign." However, no business, organization, or government has yet claimed the objects.
In the most recent incident, the first Sidewinder missile fired by a US F-16 fighter missed its target over Lake Huron. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley confirmed this during a visit to Brussels on Tuesday. "The first shot missed. The second shot hit," Milley stated. "We go to great lengths to ensure that the airspace is clear and the background is clear up to the maximum reliable range of the missile. In this case, the missile landed, or the projectile landed, harmlessly in the water of Lake Huron."
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized the American action. Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for the ministry, questioned the purpose of such expensive military action and stated, "Many in the United States have been asking, 'what good can such a costly action possibly provide the US and its taxpayers?'"
As for the Chinese balloon, sensors from it were recovered from the Atlantic Ocean on Monday and are currently being analyzed by the FBI. The Chinese balloon had been tracked by US intelligence since its launch from a base in Hainan Island on China's southern coast earlier this month. Initially, the balloon headed towards US islands of Guam and Hawaii before moving north towards Alaska, according to unnamed US officials. However, its trajectory suggests it may have been blown off course by weather conditions, but it was back under Chinese control by the time it reached the continental US.
The whole US Senate received a classified briefing on the matter from military leaders on Tuesday. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer stated the chamber will launch an inquiry into why the balloons were not detected earlier. "It's a good question," Schumer stated. "We need to address it." Meanwhile, Romania dispatched fighter jets on Tuesday to investigate an aerial object entering European airspace, but the pilots were unable to locate it and abandoned the mission after half an hour.
- Political discussions regarding the downed objects have arisen, as none of the businesses, organizations, or governmentshave claimed ownership of the items being considered as potentially linked to commercial or research entities.
- Amidst the ongoing debate over the three unidentified objects and China's alleged spying activities, the US Senate recently received a classified briefing on the matter, with the Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer, announcing plans for an inquiry into why the objects were not detected earlier.
- Securing general-news interests, the recent incident involving a US F-16 fighter missing its target during an engagement with an aerial object over Lake Huron has raised questions about the purpose and cost efficacy of such military actions, as pointed out by China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Wang Wenbin.
