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US shoots down 'high-altitude object' over Alaska, White House says
ABC News via Yahoo ^ | February 10th, 2023 | BEN GITTLESON

Posted on 02/10/2023 3:01:31 PM PST by Mariner

The White House said Friday that a 'high-altitude object' has been shot down over Alaska.

President Joe Biden ordered the shootdown, spokesman John Kirby said, adding that the origin of the object has yet to be determined.

Responding to reporters' shouted questions about the shootdown Friday afternoon outside the White House, Biden called the operation a "success."

It comes just days after the U.S. shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon last Saturday, following a political firestorm.

Kirby said the object was about the size of a small car and was at flying about 40,000 feet.

He said because it posed a reasonable threat to the safety of civilian flight, that out of an abundance of caution and at the recommendation of the Pentagon, Biden ordered the military to down the object.

ABC News Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz first reported that when fighters were scrambled, the pilots did visuals, got images and said there was no sign the object had propulsion.

It was described as "cylindrical and silver-ish gray" and seemed to be floating, a U.S. official said.

Asked if was "balloon-like," the official said, "All I say is that it wasn't 'flying' with any sort of propulsion, so if that is 'balloon-like' well -- we just don't have enough at this point."

(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: alaska; balloonboybiden; cylinder; cylindrical; interception; jbsbj; shootdown; ufo
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To: Mariner

It crashed somewhere over either open water or ice in the Arctic Ocean just northeast of Deadhorse.

I hope it doesn't rise up and do this:


21 posted on 02/10/2023 3:21:19 PM PST by Alas Babylon! (Gov't declaring misinformation is tyranny: β€œWho determines what false information is?” )
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To: Mariner

Why would you shoot down anything without knowing who/what it was or where it came from?

If it was an alien UFO, now joe may have started an inter galactic war.


22 posted on 02/10/2023 3:21:27 PM PST by faucetman (Just the facts, ma'am, Just the facts )
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To: canuck_conservative
no civilian aircraft fly at 40,000 feet

It's not uncommon. 40,000 is known as Flight Level 400 in pilot jargon.

23 posted on 02/10/2023 3:23:43 PM PST by Seaplaner (Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never...in nothing, great or small...Winston Churchill)
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To: canuck_conservative

Boeing 767 can fly to 43000 ft. Usually flies around 35000 but 40000 is completely doable.


24 posted on 02/10/2023 3:26:11 PM PST by calljack (Sometimes your worst nightmare is just a start.)
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To: Mariner

The bastards. They killed Kenny!

They shot down Santa trying out a new sleigh! No Xmas gifts for you!!!

ET can never Phone Home again!

Somewhere off the coast of Alaska, a whale has one whale of a headache, and boy is he pissed off!


25 posted on 02/10/2023 3:28:02 PM PST by MadMax, the Grinning Reaper (Figures )
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To: canuck_conservative

Maybe not Commerical airliners but civil Bus Jets Do...

Gulfstream G550
Service Ceiling: 51000 ft
Max T/O Weight: 91000 Lb
Max Landing Weight: 75300 Lb
Fuel Capacity: 41300 lbs Lb


26 posted on 02/10/2023 3:33:33 PM PST by Robe (A nation can survive its fools and even n the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within.)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

The difference is that this thing was “at the whim of the wind,” if that is accurate. Sounds like a mylar balloon.


27 posted on 02/10/2023 3:35:17 PM PST by RoosterRedux
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To: canuck_conservative

Lol. Check out flightaware.com.
I fly at 40,000 - 41,000 just about every flight. Sometimes 430, or 450


28 posted on 02/10/2023 3:35:40 PM PST by PhiloBedo (You gotta roll with the punches, and get with what's real.)
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To: Mariner
Asked if was "balloon-like," the official said, "All I say is that it wasn't 'flying' with any sort of propulsion, so if that is 'balloon-like' well -- we just don't have enough at this point."

They have the pilots visual description and gun camera. They know what it is. Did it have "Wag the Dog" painted on the side?

29 posted on 02/10/2023 3:37:48 PM PST by cpdiii (CANE CUTTER-DECKHAND-ROUGHNECK-OILFIELD CONSULTANT-GEOLOGIST-PILOT-PHARMACIST)
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To: hillarys cankles

Yes, that seems to be the conventional wisdom.


30 posted on 02/10/2023 3:40:40 PM PST by No Party Affiliation
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To: canuck_conservative

Of course they do. Routinely.


31 posted on 02/10/2023 3:45:20 PM PST by Tucker39 ("It is impossible so to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible." George Washington )
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To: Mariner

More here:

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4130110/posts

https://freerepublic.com/focus/chat/4130123/posts

πŸ˜πŸ‘πŸŽˆπŸš€


32 posted on 02/10/2023 3:45:57 PM PST by rktman (Destroy America from within? Check! WTH? Enlisted USN 1967 to end up with this? πŸ˜•)
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To: canuck_conservative

Yes, civilian aircraft can generally do 40,000 feet. Service ceilings are usually a bit higher than that (e.g., 43,000 feet), but it obviously depends on the equipment type.


33 posted on 02/10/2023 3:45:57 PM PST by dinodino ( )
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To: hillarys cankles

Agreed. Just more spin to make old, adled Brandon look large and in charge.


34 posted on 02/10/2023 3:49:27 PM PST by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
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To: Mariner

Santa and his reindeer got smoked while maintaining currency?


35 posted on 02/10/2023 3:50:43 PM PST by Natty Bumppo@frontier.net (We are the dangerous ones, who stand between all we love and a more dangerous world.)
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To: Mariner

Biden is too incoherent to β€œorder” anything.


36 posted on 02/10/2023 3:51:41 PM PST by HIDEK6 (God bless Donald Trump. )
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To: Natty Bumppo@frontier.net

Red Sleigh Down!


37 posted on 02/10/2023 3:52:02 PM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: canuck_conservative
no civilian aircraft fly at 40,000 feet

When I was an air traffic controller, I issued ATC clearances, for FL 400 and above.

38 posted on 02/10/2023 3:52:23 PM PST by Mark17 (Retired USAF air traffic controller. Father of USAF pilot. USAF aviation runs in the family )
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To: Mariner

Shot down an oil rig to stop the drilling?


39 posted on 02/10/2023 3:52:47 PM PST by Jyotishi (Seeking the truth, a fact at a time.)
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To: Mariner

Could be an arial aspirin factory.


40 posted on 02/10/2023 3:56:08 PM PST by Labyrinthos
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