The world’s most powerful mobilized air force, a state-of-the-art missile that lands in water, and an official denial of an alien invasion: the downside of America’s pursuit of flying “objects” is almost comical.
• Also read: Moldova temporarily closes its airspace because of a flying object
• Also read: Balloons that have been watching us for a long time?
• Also read: There is no indication that the three flying objects shot down are of Chinese origin
The White House acknowledged on Tuesday that the three “objects” shot down in the northern United States and Canada on orders from President Joe Biden last Friday, Saturday and Sunday may well be “balloons with harmless commercial or scientific functions.” have been. .
But the United States, scalded after deflating a balloon on Feb. 4 — for the Chinese coup and self-proclaimed as having spy capabilities — was taking no chances.
In three cases, they sent fighter jets because they believed that the security of civilian air transport was at risk: on Friday and Saturday the army chose the F-22 model, one of the most advanced, and on Sunday the F-16 model. less advanced.
Friday and Saturday, respectively over Alaska and in the Canadian region of Yukon, the operation went without incident: According to the Pentagon, a rocket was fired every time that hit its target.
But on Sunday, this time over Lake Huron in the northern United States, the plane missed its first shot, and it was a second missile that finally destroyed the “object”.
“We know that the first missile launched on Sunday missed its target and we have been told it fell into Lake Huron,” John Kirby, Speaker of the House of Commons National Security Council, told White on Tuesday.
The bill for a shot in the water is steep: The US Air Force used AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles for these operations, the unit costs of which are estimated at around 400,000 dollars.
If the demolition work was costly, the same goes for salvaging the rubble in hard-to-reach areas.
What remained of the “objects” actually fell either on the frozen surfaces of Alaska, or in remote and inhospitable areas of Canada’s Yukon, or in Lake Huron.
The Biden administration has already indicated that analysis of the fragments would have to be awaited to determine the exact nature, origin and use of the “objects” shot down.
In this tangled affair, the American executive has only one certainty, and not least: “There is no evidence of aliens or extraterrestrial activity.”
It was Karine Jean-Pierre, spokeswoman for Joe Biden, who solemnly said it Monday at the start of her daily briefing in the White House press room.
“The truth lies elsewhere, Karine!” Then a reporter burst out laughing in reference to the famous series “X-Files,” dedicated to two FBI agents investigating paranormal phenomena.