US military brings down octagonal object flying over Lake Huron near Canadian border

US military fighter jets shot down an octagonal object over Lake Huron on Sunday, the Pentagon said, the latest incident since a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon put North American security forces on high alert. It was the fourth unidentified flying object to be shot down over North America by a US missile in just over a week. On the order of President Joe Biden, an American F-16 fighter jet shot down the object at 2:42 p.m. local time over Lake Huron on the US-Canada border, Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder said in an official statement.

Although it did not pose a military threat, the object could potentially disrupt domestic air traffic because it was hovering at an altitude of 20,000 feet (6,100 m) and could have surveillance activities, the Pentagon said. The object appeared to be an octagonal structure, with strings hanging down, but no discernible payload, a US official said on condition of anonymity. An object was recently detected over Montana near sensitive military sites, prompting the closure of US airspace, the Pentagon said.

The incident raised questions about the spate of unusual objects that have appeared over North American skies in recent weeks and raised tensions with China. "We need the facts about where they're coming from, what their purpose is and why they're increasing in frequency," said U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, one of several Michigan lawmakers who applauded the military for taking down the object.

US officials identified the first object as a Chinese surveillance balloon and shot it down off the coast of South Carolina on February 4. On Friday, a second object was shot down over sea ice near Deadhorse, Alaska. And a third object was destroyed over Canada's Yukon on Saturday, with investigators still searching for debris. North America is on high alert for aerial intrusions after a white, conspicuous Chinese airship appeared over American skies earlier this month.