A fourth aerial “object,” was downed Sunday by U.S. aircraft, this time over Lake Huron, with Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin (D-Lansing) saying Congress needs a “full briefing” on the incident.
The Washington Post reported that the Defense Department and a senior Biden administration official described the object as “unmanned” and not a military threat to anything on the ground.
Initially detected Saturday night, the object, the fourth in less than two weeks to enter U.S. airspace, was spotted at about 20,000 feet over the Upper Peninsula, which concerned officials that it could interfere with commercial aviation.
“The object has been downed by pilots from the US Air Force and National Guard,” tweeted Slotkin early Sunday evening. “Great work by all who carried out this mission both in the air and back at headquarters. We’re all interested in exactly what this object was and it’s purpose. As long as these things keep traversing the US and Canada, I’ll continue to ask for Congress to get a full briefing based on our exploitation of the wreckage.”
That assessment was affirmed by Rep. Jack Bergman (R-Watersmeet).
“I appreciate the decisive action by our fighter pilots,” said Bergman in a tweet. “The American people deserve far more answers than we have.”
The tweets by Slotkin and Bergman were the first official notice of the shoot down.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) also tweeted that the object had been “swiftly, safely and securely taken down.”
The unnamed official quoted by The Post said that “at the recommendation of military leaders, President Biden directed the unidentified object be shot down.”
The Post further reported that the administration acknowledged the object may have been the same one that was detected over Montana on Saturday, but could not be confirmed when fighter jets were sent to investigate.
Described as an “octagonal structure” with nothing visible aboard or attached was shot down by an F-16 at 2:42 p.m. Sunday.
