A pair of F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters shot down an unidentified flying object (UFO) in Lake Huron, Michigan, on Sunday afternoon (12). The successful interception by the US Air Force (USAF) marks the fourth of its kind in 10 days, and the third in three consecutive days.
The shooting took place after a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) imposed a restriction zone in the airspace of the Great Lakes region, on the border with Canada. With the publication of NOTAM, the USAF dispatched a pair of F-16 fighters, ed by a KC-135 tanker and an E-3 Sentry radar plane. Later, representatives Elissa Slotkin and Jack Bergman, both from Michigan, confirmed that the Air Force had "dispatched" yet another unidentified object.
“I was in with the Pentagon regarding operations in the Great Lakes region today”, said Bergman on Twitter on Sunday afternoon. “The US military has disabled another 'object' over Lake Huron. I appreciate the decisive action of our fighter pilots. The American people deserve far more answers than we do.”
2/ 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.
— Rep. Elissa Slotkin (@RepSlotkin) February 12, 2023
I've been in with DOD regarding operations across the Great Lakes region today.
The US military has decommissioned another “object” over Lake Huron.
I appreciate the decisive action by our fighter pilots.
ADVERTISING The American people deserve far more answers than we have.
— Rep. Jack Bergman (@RepJackBergman) February 12, 2023
According to CNN, the UFO shot down yesterday had an octagonal shape, had hanging wires and did not appear to be carrying anything. The target was dropped at 20 feet, an altitude at which it posed a risk to air traffic. Again the USAF employed AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles to eliminate the threat, fire by F-16CM fighters from the 148th Fighter Wing, based at Duluth Air National Guard Base, Minnesota.
SPLASH ONE, AESIR11! @148FW coming back to @MSN_Airport after shooting down an “octagonal” object over Lake Huron today. Note the empty station 8 on AESIR11 and empty station 2 on AESIR12.
Thank you airmen for keeping our skies safe! #ByGeek #Planespotting pic.twitter.com/6Yb0gaOyIG
—Jaime Cordova (@jaimecor_94) February 13, 2023
Images show the planes returning after the mission, both with one less AIM-9 missile. The planes, normally employed in anti-radar missions (Wild Weasel), also carried AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles, Sniper and HTS (HARM Targeting System) pods and auxiliary fuel tanks.
According to the Pentagon, the UFO may have landed in Canadian waters. It is similar in size to the other objects brought down this weekend, and again it was unmanned and unpowered. Each case is evaluated independently, including the decision to proceed (or not) with the slaughter. The FBI has taken the lead in the investigations, but works with the military to retrieve debris from targets.
The DoD also reinforces that so far it does not know the origin, purpose and functioning of the objects shot down in Canada and the United States. Asked whether UFOs could be extraterrestrials, General Glen VanHerck, commander of the North American Air Defense Command, NORAD, said he has not ruled out any possibility. “I will not categorize them as balloons. We're calling them 'objects' for a reason.”, said the officer. “Certainly the event off the coast of South Carolina for the Chinese spy balloon, it was clearly a balloon. These were objects, said VanHerck, mentioning the Downing of a Chinese spy balloon on Saturday (04).
