A military aircraft accompanied by two Blackhawk helicopters was seen leaving Deadhorse, flying south this afternoon at about 4:30 pm. Must Read Alaska has exclusive video:
Recovery operations have been ongoing on the Arctic Ocean north of Deadhorse, where the U.S. military shot down an unknown object in U.S. airspace on Friday. The military had tracked the item since Thursday and determined it was unmanned. A jet from Anchorage to Red Dog Mine was rerouted toward Nome to avoid the item on Thursday.
“The object was flying at an altitude of 40,000 feet and posed a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight,” said Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder on Friday. Civilian airliners typically fly between 40,000 and 45,000 feet.
President Joe Biden ordered Northern Command to shoot down the object, which has not been described by the U.S. government, other than it was smaller than the China spy balloon shot down over the coast of South Carolina last Saturday.
