Three of the objects shot down by the U.S. aircraft were private, recreational and research balloons studying weather and conducting other scientific research.
on the mysterious objects amid bipartisan pressure from lawmakers demanding more information, defended having the objects shot down even if they posed no direct threat to the U.S.
Biden said the intelligence community's"current assessment" is that the three objects were"most likely balloons tied to private companies, recreation or research institutions studying weather or conducting other scientific research."Biden says 'aerial objects' not looming threat; Georgia Trump grand jury excerpts released: live updates
"I want to be clear," Biden said."We don't have any evidence that there has been a sudden increase in the number of objects in the sky. We're now just seeing more, partially because the steps we've taken to increase our radars, to narrow our radars."Biden says he expects to speak to China's Xi Biden said he ordered the military to shoot down the spy balloon after it crossed into the contiguous U.S. as soon as it was safe. The military advised to wait until it reached the ocean to avoid debris potentially hurting people on the ground, but Republicans have attacked him for not ordering the balloon shot down sooner.
The three objects shot down afterward the spy balloon incident were flying at 40,000 feet or lower. That is significantly lower than the Chinese spy balloon's elevation, and posed a threat to civilian aircraft, the White House has argued. The objects were unmanned, appeared to be moving by prevailing winds, not self-propulsion, and had no communications signals, according to national security officials. Complicating the search for more clues, the U.S.
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