John Kirby, spokesman for the United States National Security Council, briefed on the case during a Monday press conference with White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

US authorities still do not know if the objects were used for surveillance purposes. But this cannot be ruled out.

Pointing to China

According to Kirby, the fact that several of these objects have been discovered recently may in part be due to the United States having stepped up surveillance of its airspace. The changed radar settings should have made it easier to detect objects at high altitudes and at low speeds.

Kirby also said the United States believes China has a military high-altitude reconnaissance balloon program.

So far, China hasn’t been able to gather much new intelligence with this program, according to Kirby. However, if technology improves, balloons could potentially become more efficient.

About a week ago, a large Chinese balloon was shot down off South Carolina. The United States claims it was a spy balloon, while Chinese authorities claim it was a stray weather balloon.

In deep water

Kirby states that the downed objects were uninhabited. How they were propelled forward and able to maneuver was obviously not visible.

One of the objects was shot down over Lake Huron in Michigan. It appears to be in deep water, according to Kirby. Canadian authorities said earlier Monday that bad weather hampered the search and recovery of the wreckage after another shootout over the Yukon.

The idea that the earth is occasionally visited by UFOs from extraterrestrial planets is widespread in the United States – although there is no evidence of such a thing. Karine Jean-Pierre said at Monday’s press conference that there were no indications of extraterrestrial activity related to the objects that were shot down.

Blame the United States

While the United States has pointed the finger at China, Chinese authorities have responded by pressing charges against the United States.

The Chinese government claimed on Monday that the United States had sent balloons into Chinese airspace at least 10 times last year without permission. This was flatly rejected by John Kirby.

– There are no US surveillance planes in Chinese airspace, he said at the White House press conference.

He did not answer directly whether the United States had planes over areas claimed by China, but which are not internationally recognized as Chinese.

– Drift with the wind

Balloons of unknown origin also occasionally fly over Norway. Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram (Sp) could say so on Monday.

In an interview with The daily he pointed out that every day a large number of weather balloons are sent from various countries. Most of them crack and fall off after one to two hours.

– However, it happens from time to time that balloons whose origin we do not know drift with the wind over Norwegian territory, said Gram.

In addition to the balloon that was shot down outside South Carolina, three smaller objects have been shot down in the northern United States and Canada since Friday.