A canoe rests on the shore of the Beaufort Sea in Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost city in America. A recovery effort of an object shot down Thursday in the sea near the Canadian border has been hampered by arctic conditions. (David R. Peter/Dreamstime/TNS)
(Tribune News Service) — A U.S. recovery effort on sea ice in Alaska continued Saturday after a fighter jet shot down an unidentified airborne object near the Canadian border.
“Recovery operations continue today near Deadhorse, Alaska," U.S. Northern Command said in a statement. “We have no further details at this time about the object, including its capabilities, purpose, or origin.”
Personnel are adjusting to maintain safety in arctic weather conditions, including wind chill, snow and limited daylight, according to the statement.
A Sidewinder missile downed the object off northeastern Alaska on Friday after F-22s spotted it overnight, less than a week after fighter jets targeted an alleged Chinese surveillance balloon that had crossed the US and provoked a national uproar.
The unidentified object was about the size of a car and didn’t have the ability to maneuver, the White House said. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said it was far smaller than the Chinese balloon downed off the coast of South Carolina last Saturday.
In Alaska, additional debris was retrieved after sea conditions on Friday allowed for the use of divers and underwater unmanned vehicle operations, according to Northern Command.
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