The United States Department of Defense (US) or the Pentagon revealed that an unidentified flying object (UFO) the size of a car was shot down in the sky over Alaska and so far it is still mysterious.
The UFO was detected flying very high and was considered a hazard to civil air traffic. It was first detected on Thursday (9/2) local time and F-35 stealth fighter jets were later deployed to investigate further.
"We call it an object because that's the best description we have at this time. We don't know who owns it," White House Security Council spokesman John Kirby told CTV News.
The mysterious object is said to be airborne at an altitude of 12,190 meters. The UFO whose owner was unknown had the potential to endanger civil aviation until it was shot down by a Sidewinder missile fired by an F-22 fighter jet.
The order to shoot him down came directly from US President Joe Biden, just hours after Canadian Defense Secretary Anita Anand visited the Pentagon. The UFO was also headed for Canada.
"I convey Canada's support for taking action to eliminate this object. NORAD deployed aircraft to track and monitor it and provide important information to decision makers and the United States shot this object," said Anand.
Roughly the size of a small car, the object was first detected late Thursday. US sources told ABC News the object was cylindrical in shape, silvery-grey in color and appeared to be floating. No details have yet emerged about its origins and purpose.
Standing at 12,000 meters, apparently unmanned and unmaneuverable, this UFO was deemed a plausible security threat to civil aviation and was eventually shot down over the Arctic Ocean.
"Civil aircraft operate over a wide range of ranges, up to 12,000 to 13,700 meters. So there is a reasonable concern that this object could pose a threat or potential hazard to civilian air traffic," Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder told reporters on Friday.
Efforts to recover the UFO remains are now underway in an area of the Beaufort Sea which is reported to be frozen. Of course later it will be examined what objects actually UFOs.