Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated in a media briefing on Monday (Tuesday AEDT) that the Biden administration is still in the process of understanding the nature and intent of the recently downed flying objects.
“I wanted to clarify from the White House: There have been inquiries and worries regarding this, but once again, there is no evidence indicating aliens or extraterrestrial activity related to these recent incidents,” Jean-Pierre remarked.
“I wanted the American people to be informed, and it’s crucial for us to clarify this because there have been many discussions,” she added, eliciting laughter from reporters in the room.
US officials indicated on Monday that the recent “enhanced radar capabilities” could partially account for the increase in detected objects in US airspace.
John Kirby, the US National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, mentioned that the suspected Chinese spy balloon downed last week provided “limited” intelligence to China.
Meanwhile, a former US national security official suggested that Chinese spy balloons have likely traversed Australian airspace.
Elbridge Colby, a former US deputy assistant secretary of defense, mentioned on Today that the Pentagon has shared intelligence with Australia and other allies regarding unidentified aerial objects.
“Australia is a vital ally to the United States… so it is logical that China would be interested in monitoring Australia,” he added.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they operated within Australian airspace.”
On Monday, China claimed that over 10 US high-altitude balloons had entered its airspace without permission over the past year, following accusations from Washington that Beijing operates a network of surveillance balloons worldwide.
The US denied any allegations of operating surveillance balloons in China.
The staggering amounts that countries allocate for their defense
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