Are they spy balloons or aliens? What we know about the flying objects spotted in US, Canada and even China

Is it a bird, is it a plane or is it a spy balloon? This seems to be the common question in recent days, as a number of flying objects have been spotted and shot down — across North America and even as far as China. On Monday, the news of a fourth flying object being taken down over Lake Huron , near the Canadian border emerged, raising concerns about North American security and further strained relations with China. Pentagon officials state that this is the fourth such downing in eight days, which is unprecedented for peacetime. The news of the object flying over Lake Huron came even as China stated that they had detected one over the waters near a northern Chinese port city close to the Bohai Sea, with local authorities saying there were ready to shoot it down. We explain what’s know so far about all these unidentified objects, how their appearance has put North American security officials on edge, and what effect will these episodes have on US-China ties. Flying objects, everywhere The drama began late January when a Chinese ‘spy balloon’ was spotted in US skies before it was shot down on 4 February by an F-22 jet off the South Carolina coast. China has insisted that the balloon was carrying out weather research. Once the US shot it down, China demanded that it be returned to them with Chinese ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, making the request. Lu said the US should return the debris as it is Chinese property — “If a person picks up something on the street and knows who the owner is, he should return it to the owner,” said Lu. He added, “If the US is unwilling to return it, that is their business. This shows that they are dishonest. At the same time, it emerged that a similar balloon was spotted over Costa Rica. The country later announced that the Chinese government had recognised that one of its balloons had flown over Costa Rica and that the Asian nation had “apologised for the incident” while insisting the balloon was focused on scientific research, mainly weather studies. If one thought that this was the end of the flying objects saga — think again. On 10 February, the US took down another flying object off northern Alaska. This time too, an F-22 fighter jet shot down the object “at 1.45 pm within US sovereign airspace over US territorial water,” said Pentagon press secretary Air Force Brigadier General Pat Ryder. According to officials, the downed object didn’t have any system of propulsion or control. The very next day, a US F-22 jet, acting on US and Canadian orders, downed a “high-altitude airborne object” over Canada’s central Yukon territory, about 100 miles (160 kilometres) from the US border, saying it posed a threat to civilian flight. And on Sunday, came the fourth incident — when another unidentified airborne object was shot down as it was flying at approximately 20,000 feet altitude in US airspace over Lake Huron in the state of Michigan. According to reports, President Joe Biden ordered the shooting down of the airborne object on Sunday at the recommendation of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. Its path and altitude raised concerns, including that it could be a hazard to civil aviation. At the same time, China too has reported the sighting of a flying object near Qingdao. As per an ANI report, an employee at the marine development authority of Qingdao Jimo district said “relevant authorities” were preparing to take down the object. The employee said fishermen in the region have been told to remain careful about safety. [caption id=“attachment_12144612” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] US Navy sailors recov a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. AP[/caption] Size, dimensions, and what was recovered from them In the case of the first incident — the ‘spy balloon’ — it was 60 metre (200 feet) tall, comparable to a 20-storey building. Glen VanHerck, commander of North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD), told reporters that the balloon was also carrying a load similar in size to a commercial plane. US officials say the device did have propellers, giving it some ability to navigate, and could also change altitude to catch winds in different directions. When it comes to the object taken down in Canada, it was described as cylindrical and smaller than the initial balloon. Canadian defense minister Anita Anand would not speculate on whether it originated in China. And the flying object shot down over Lake Huron was described as an octagonal structure with strings hanging off it. Officials, as per an AFP report, said that the second and third objects were about the size of a Volkswagen Beetle. **Also read: Why Australia is removing China-made security cameras from government buildings** Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has said that the flying objects were all balloons and posed a different threat because they were flying at a similar altitude to commercial planes. The senior politician also said that it was “humiliating” for China and a “huge coup for the United States.” “I think the Chinese were caught lying, and I think it’s a real step back for them,” he was quoted as saying to ABC News. Officials are working hard to recover the debris of the shot down objects to try to understand their purpose and their origins. The US has told the media that it believed that similar balloons had operated over different parts of the world and was even used to target countries such as India , Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines.

While it still is unknown what exactly are these objects, US Air Force general Glen VanHerck overseeing North American airspace said he wouldn’t rule out an extra-terrestrial origin. VanHerck told reporters, as per a Reuters report, that the military was unable to immediately determine the means by which any of the three latest objects were kept aloft, the means of their propulsion or where they were coming from. “We’re calling them objects, not balloons, for a reason,” said VanHerck. Purpose of the flying objects But what purpose do these flying objects serve? According to US officials, the first object — the balloon — was equipped to detect and collect intelligence signals as part of a huge, military-linked aerial surveillance program that targeted more than 40 countries. Some analysts believe that these objects may be the beginning of a major Chinese surveillance effort targeting foreign military capabilities ahead of possible acute tensions over Taiwan . Speaking on the issue, Chuck Schumer said, “They’re not just doing the United States, this is a crew of balloons… they’ve probably been all over the world.” But was reconnaissance, perhaps, the only purpose of these flying objects? That’s a no, according to Admiral Mike Mullen, former chair of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff. Last Sunday, he was quoted as saying that this might have been to disrupt Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to China — which was slated for 6 and 7 February. “This was not an accident. This was deliberate. It was intelligence,” he added. [caption id=“attachment_12144652” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The appearance of these flying objects will hurt the re-engagement process between China and US. Domestic pressures in both countries won’t allow for either side to re-engage. File image/AFP[/caption] US-China ties The appearance and the subsequent shooting down of the ‘spy balloon’ has undoubtedly put further strain on an already-tense relationship between China and the US. Following the take down of the first flying object, Secretary of State Antony Blinken scrapped his visit to Beijing and the US has also sanctioned six Chinese entities believed to support military spy balloon programs. With the emergence of the other flying objects, it is won’t be shocking that the ties between the two superpowers only plummet further. Orville Schell, the director of the Center on US-China Relations at Asia Society in New York, was quoted as telling Insider, “The Chinese balloon was an incredibly clumsy gesture on Beijing’s part and it deprived us of a very important moment to arrest the downward spiral,” referring to Blinken’s now cancelled visit. He added, “You couldn’t have a more toxic example that would inflame everyone.” Other analysts also state that the recent sightings of the flying objects will make it only tougher for China and US to mend ties. Analysts believe that the high level of public attention constrains how far leaders can act in pursuing gestures of stability. Roman Schweizer, managing director for aerospace and defence at Cowen and Company’s Washington Research Group, said in a report Sunday, “The ‘Balloon Crisis’ will have a significant impact on bilateral relations and certainly US public opinion, political debate and policies toward China. “Countries spy on each other — on enemies and friends, using all sorts of methods and tech. Getting caught is the risk,” Schweizer said. “The Balloon Crisis has likely embarrassed the PRC enough that they will seek to retaliate, change the narrative or, simply put, make the US look bad somehow.” While the truth about these objects is still be to discovered, one thing is certain for now: domestic pressures in both countries won’t allow for either side to re-engage, meaning that ties will continue to be fraught and tensions will continue to simmer. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.