What do we know about the objects that were shot down over Canada and the U.S.? | 24CA News
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Four objects have been shot down over Canada and the U.S. over the previous two weeks.
So, why all of the sudden airborne sightings? And what precisely is occurring?
Former Pentagon official Elbridge Colby mentioned intelligence sensors have been adjusted to detect objects they would not have been in a position to see earlier than, which may very well be why we’ve got seen the current discoveries.
That means it is nonetheless attainable we may see extra news of unknown objects in our skies or being shot down.
In the meantime, listed below are solutions to a few of your questions.
Does Canada have a task in recovering particles if shot down in our waters or airspace?
The quick reply is, sure.
On Sunday, Gen. Glen VanHerck, head of North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) and Northern Command, mentioned the thing shot down over Lake Huron had probably fallen into Canadian waters.
However, in a briefing Monday afternoon, RCMP spokesperson Sean McGillis mentioned he was “not aware of debris making its way into Canadian waters.”
Despite the dearth of solutions, Canadian and American groups are engaged on finding and recovering the particles.
The seek for the particles is being performed by the Canadian Coast Guard ship Griffon with the assistance of two Canadian Coast Guard helicopters primarily based out of Parry Sound, Ont., mentioned Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray, who can be answerable for the Canadian Coast Guard, at a news convention on Monday.
What can we learn about how the objects look and transfer?
Very little is understood concerning the objects proper now.
The first object shot down earlier this month was decided by the U.S. to be a Chinese spy balloon, John Kirby, the U.S. National Security Council co-ordinator for strategic communications, advised a White House news convention.
Details on the opposite three objects are much less clear.
Kirby mentioned the trio didn’t have propulsion and weren’t being manoeuvred. Maj.-Gen. Paul Prévost, director of the Strategic Joint Staff on the U.S. Department of Defense, corroborated this assertion throughout the briefing Monday night, including they have been primarily “lighter than air” and “follow the wind pattern.” Given this info, there isn’t any proof of any propulsion system, he added.
“These other three — they didn’t have propulsion and they weren’t being manoeuvred. We don’t know for sure whether they had a surveillance aspect to them,” Kirby mentioned.
What have we discovered concerning the Chinese spy balloon?
The balloon spent every week flying over North America earlier than it was shot down by a U.S. fighter jet off South Carolina’s coast on Feb. 4.
Beijing denies it was a authorities spy vessel. But Kirby mentioned the Chinese spy balloon’s path confirmed it might have been monitoring delicate U.S. navy websites.
The U.S. navy says it has recovered crucial electronics, together with key sensors presumably used for intelligence gathering.
“Crews have been able to recover significant debris from the site, including all of the priority sensor and electronics pieces identified as well as large sections of the structure,” the U.S. navy’s Northern Command mentioned in a press release.
The Biden administration additionally mentioned the balloon was a part of an enormous, military-linked aerial spy program that focused greater than 40 international locations.
Were these objects spying? What information would they be amassing?
Aside from the primary balloon, we do not but know.
The subsequent three objects are but to be characterised — so for now, they’re being known as objects.
“We have no information at this point on what payload they could have carried or the capabilities they have,” mentioned Prévost throughout a briefing Monday.
Kirby additionally mentioned the intelligence group is contemplating the likelihood the three objects may very well be associated to “some commercial or benign purpose.”
WATCH | Former Pentagon official Elbridge Colby talks downed objects, airspace preparedness:
Former Pentagon official Elbridge Colby discusses what we all know concerning the objects that have been lately shot down and the way ready Canada is that if extra objects have been to enter its airspace.
Recovery operations are underway and there ought to be extra info within the coming days, Colby added.
How ready are we if one other object comes into Canadian airspace?
Prévost mentioned the reply is determined by the objects we face.
“There is always an ongoing analysis of what’s the best tool to use for the situations we face,” he mentioned.
He added there are “capabilities” on the CF-18s that may “take care” of a few of these objects, however right now they don’t seem to be being requested to make use of them on any of those objects.
The main common additionally famous that these unprecedented actions underscore the significance of our binational navy command and NORAD.
“We are committed to keeping Canadians and Americans safe and we will remain in contact with our U.S. partners to ensure binational response to all the situations where a co-ordinated approach is required,” he mentioned.
“It is important that Canada, the U.S. and NORAD work together and use all the tools in our toolbox to address the threat we face.”
