Search efforts for Yukon, Alaska flying objects are being suspended – National

The search for the flying object shot down over Yukon last week was suspended Friday by the RCMP.

“The RCMP has decided to discontinue search efforts in the Yukon for the aerial object shot down on February 11. The highest probability area has been searched and the debris was not located,” the RCMP said in a statement Friday evening.

“Given the snowfall that has occurred, the decreasing probability the object will be found and the current belief the object is not tied to a scenario that justifies extraordinary search efforts, the RCMP is terminating the search.”

Meanwhile, the United States has ended search operations for two objects it shot down earlier this month in the aftermath of downing a suspected Chinese spy balloon, according to a statement released by the Pentagon.

The U.S. Northern Command said air and maritime safety perimeters were being lifted at two other sites where flying objects were shot down last weekend.

“U.S. Northern Command recommended that search operations conclude today near Deadhorse, Alaska, and on Lake Huron, as search activities have discovered no debris from airborne objects shot down on Feb. 10 and Feb. 12, 2023,” it said.

The search for the object downed over Lake Huron had been suspended Thursday afternoon.

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Aerial object debris recovery a challenge with winter weather in Yukon: Canadian defence minister

Speaking to reporters on Feb. 12, the day after the Yukon object was downed, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said it posed a “reasonable threat” to the safety of Canadians.

Trudeau said the unidentified object “unlawfully” entered Canadian airspace and was shot down by an American F-22.

He ordered the object to be shot down after it violated Canadian airspace. The announcement came minutes after an exclusive Global News report, published at 3:36 p.m. ET, that North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, was monitoring an object that could be another potential spy balloon.

The high-altitude airborne object was downed at approximately 3:41 p.m. ET.

U.S. President Joe Biden said Thursday that the Lake Huron object and two others shot down over Yukon and Alaska do not appear to have come from China or any other country and did not have surveillance capabilities.

The objects were shot down in quick succession not long after a Chinese surveillance balloon that had flown over Canada and the U.S. was shot down earlier this month.

— with files from Global News’ Sean Boynton, Heidi Lee & Reuters

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