Biden says unidentified objects US shot down were not Chinese spy balloons

President Joe Biden said on Thursday that the United States would not hesitate to shoot down unidentified aerial objects that threaten its citizens. He added that there was no indication that three objects U.S. fighter jets recently shot down over North America were part of China’s spy balloon program or any other country’s surveillance program. He also said the U.S. sanctioned six Chinese companies connected to a spy balloon that U.S. forces shot down off the Carolina coast after it floated over North America for a week.

What were the most recent objects? It remains uncertain, but Biden said they were likely unoccupied, privately-owned aircraft or owned by research institutions. He added that unidentified aerial objects are not appearing over the U.S. with greater frequency, but instead just being detected more frequently. National security spokesman John Kirby has already confirmed the three UFOs were unmanned.

Dig deeper: Read William Inboden’s column in WORLD Opinions about whether the Chinese spy balloon will serve as a wake-up call for the U.S.