On a roll from his Feb. 7 State of the Union speech to a joint session of Congress, 80-year-old President Joe Biden ordered the shoot-down of another Unidentified Flying Object [UFO] this time over icy waters in Deadhorse, Alaska on Prudhoe Bay. Biden was notified of the UFO Thursday morning, deciding, unlike the shoot-down of a 2,000-poind Chinese balloon Friday, Feb. 10, Biden acted decisively ordering the downing of the unmanned aerial vehicle. Once the Pentagon determined the balloon-like object was unmanned, Biden wasted no time ordering an F-22 from Join Base Elmendorf to take doown the unknown object, about the size of a small car, with a sidewinder missile, the same one used last Saturday Feb. 4. Biden was rejuvenated by his State of the Union, getting high marks from Democrats, but, more importantly, showed he can still work a crowd at his advanced age.
Last weeks delayed response, letting the Chinese spy balloon drift methodically over Alaska, Canada, Idaho, Montana all the way across the U.S. generated much-deserved criticism, especially with the spy-craft monitoring U.S. nuclear Air Force bases across the continental United States. Biden said he didn’t want to jeopardize any civilians on the ground, before shooting down the balloon over shallow waters in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Biden faced criticism from his GOP colleagues for not acting more decisively, though Democrats pointed out quickly that similar Chinese spy balloons flew into U.S. air space during the Trump administration. Trump didn’t order a shoot down because the balloon quickly left U.S. air space. Biden ordered the shoot down today over Deadhorse, Alaska, claiming that the UFO presented a danger at 40,000 feet to commercial air flights.
Pentagon Spokesman John Kirby didn’t have much to report, other than a UFO was shot down over Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. “All I can say is that it wasn’t flying with any sort of propulsion, so if that is ‘balloon like’—we just don’t enough at this point,” Kirby said. “It came in, inside our territorial waters, those waters right now are frozen, but inside territorial air space and over territorial waters. Fighter aircraft assigned to the U.S. Northern Command took down the object with the last hour,” Kirby reported. No country, including China, has claimed responsibility for what looks like another spy balloon, prompting Biden to shoot first, wait to see whether any recovered debris identifies the country of origin. Two spy balloons in one week certainly raises eyebrows, even if the Pentagon can’t confirm the nature or origin of the flying object. “We don’t know who owns this object,” Kirby said.
Like the Chinese spy balloon shot down Feb. 4, the object did not to have any guidance or propulsion. “It did not appear to have maneuverability capability, “ Kirby said. “It was virtually at the whim of the wind.” Kirby confirmed that a fighter pilot was up in the sky on Feb. 9, determining the that the balloon-like object had no human on board, before Biden gave the order Friday, 1:45 p.m. to shoot it down. “We were able to get some fighter aircraft up and around it before the order to shoot it down. And the pilots’ assessment was that this was not manned,” Kirby said. “There was a limit to how much they could divine,” including whether the object was booby-trapped with explosives. Pentagon officials hoped to recover the debris off the ice and determine the nature and origin of the UFO. Biden’s decision to shoot it down stemmed directly from last week’s delay in taking down the Chinese balloon.
Pentagon officials think last week’s shoot down of the Chinese spy balloon won’t impact U.S.-Chinese relations in the scheme of things. China reacted harshly to the shoot down, saying the U.S. showed “indiscriminate aggression.” China insisted that it’s weather balloon posed no threat at all to U.S. national security. Pentagon officials haven’t yet determined or said publicly what if any national security issues were compromised by the spy-craft that spend six days flying over U.S. nuclear and stealth bomber bases in Montana and Missouri. No one knows what, if anything, the Chinese got after from the surveillance balloon. Pentagon officials said the Chinese already monitor U.S. air bases from a network of space-based satellites, not sure they would get more intel from a spy balloon. Two balloon incidents in one week suggest a correlation between the events.
Biden has a wind at his back following a commanding performance at the State of the Union speech. If there’s anything to glean from today’s shoot down, Biden has more confidence than ever as he prepares to announce he’s running for reelection in 2024. Anyone listening to the speech knows that it was a campaign speech, not a typical State of the Union message. Biden touted his big spending bills that he claims have benefited the U.S. economy, despite the runaway inflation that makes life harder for most working people. Biden cast himself as a champion of U.S. workers, despite the economic challenges from rising prices. Shooting down the UFO over Alaska reflects Biden’s new confidence after Tuesday night’s speech. Pentagon officials should know soon the nature and origin of the car-sized balloon. Shooting it down without hesitation speaks volumes about Biden’s future plans.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
