Canadian officials are looking into a pattern of aerial objects that were ordered to be taken down to see if there is a correlation linking the four recent events 香蕉视频直播� including an unidentified object shot down over the Yukon under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau香蕉视频直播檚 orders.
At the Whitehorse airport firehall on the morning of Feb. 13, Trudeau told reporters the objects could be linked.
香蕉视频直播淚 think, obviously, there is some sort of pattern in there,香蕉视频直播� he said.
香蕉视频直播淭he fact that we are seeing this in a significant degree over the past week is a cause for interest and close attention, which is exactly what we香蕉视频直播檙e doing. We香蕉视频直播檝e deployed significant resources here to be able to recover the object as well as diplomatic and international engagements going on to find more information and to get solutions on this.香蕉视频直播�
Speaking with reporters in Brussels while attending a meeting of NATO defence ministers on Feb. 14, Minister of National Defence Anita Anand said she wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 comment on whether a pattern exists.
香蕉视频直播淚, personally, am reluctant to make a statement along those lines at this point,香蕉视频直播� she said.
In a Feb. 13 statement on Twitter, Anand said the Royal Canadian Air Force has deployed a CC-130H Hercules, two CC- 138 Twin Otters, a CH-148 Cyclone and a CH-149 Cormorant aircraft to search for debris from the object in the Yukon.
香蕉视频直播淭he debris is located in a remote location northeast of Dawson City, in complex alpine terrain that is prone to challenging northern weather conditions,香蕉视频直播� she said.
During a briefing, Melissa G. Dalton, the U.S. Department of Defense香蕉视频直播檚 assistant secretary for homeland defense and hemispheric affairs, said Feb. 12 that the air space is being watched more closely since the first object and the most recent objects do not pose a 香蕉视频直播渒inetic military threat香蕉视频直播�, but their path in proximity to sensitive defence sites and the altitude at which they were flying potentially pose a hazard to civilian aviation.
香蕉视频直播淚n light of the People香蕉视频直播檚 Republic of China balloon that we took down last Saturday, we have been more closely scrutinizing our air space at these altitudes, including enhancing our radar, which may at least partly explain the increase in objects that we香蕉视频直播檝e detected over the past week. We also know that a range of entities, including countries, companies [and] research organizations operate objects at these altitudes for purposes that are not nefarious, including legitimate research,香蕉视频直播� Dalton said.
香蕉视频直播淭hat said, because we have not yet been able to definitively assess what these recent objects are, we have acted out of an abundance of caution to protect our security and interests.香蕉视频直播�
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On the afternoon of Feb. 13, federal officials provided a virtual technical briefing about the four airborne objects that were being tracked, monitored and identified by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) since Feb. 4.
Maj.-Gen. Paul Prevost is a director of strategic joint staff at the Canadian Department of National Defence. He said authorities are trying to make sense of the pattern of events.
香蕉视频直播淭here seems to be a pattern,香蕉视频直播� Prevost said. 香蕉视频直播淲hat we香蕉视频直播檙e trying to find out [is] if that pattern is correlated.香蕉视频直播�
The balloon was taken down on Feb. 4, another object was shot down in Alaska on Feb. 10, a third object was shot down between Dawson City and Mayo on Feb. 11 and a fourth object was taken down over Lake Huron on Feb. 12.
Sean McGillis, the acting deputy commissioner for the federal policing program at the RCMP, said that 香蕉视频直播渦ntil we locate these devices and have a true sense of what they are, it香蕉视频直播檚 difficult to say whether or not we can directly link them to the other incidents.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淲e consider it to be a coincidence that we have multiple incidents happening that seem to be similar, but that香蕉视频直播檚 just speculation at this point in terms of whether or not they香蕉视频直播檙e definitely connected,香蕉视频直播� he said.
McGillis said it香蕉视频直播檚 too early to speculate on what the device looked like, what it contained and what concerns could be until it is located. He said there is no confirmation or visuals to share at this time.
Prevost spoke about NORAD香蕉视频直播檚 response to the unknown object over the Yukon.
香蕉视频直播淭hese unprecedented activities have underscored how important our binational military command continues to be and how important it is that NORAD continue to evolve to meet the changing threat environment,香蕉视频直播� Prevost said.
香蕉视频直播淲e are committed in keeping Canadians and Americans safe, and we will remain in contact with our U.S. partners to ensure binational response to all the situations where a coordinated approach is required.香蕉视频直播�
Prevost said that while the first object has been officially characterized as a 香蕉视频直播渉igh-altitude surveillance balloon香蕉视频直播� and attributed to the People香蕉视频直播檚 Republic of China, the subsequent three objects cannot be characterized or attributed at this time.
香蕉视频直播淭he four objects have been taken down over U.S. and Canadian airspace,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淩ecovery operations are ongoing.香蕉视频直播�
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The search for the downed object in the Yukon is being led by the RCMP with the support of the Canadian Armed Forces.
Prevost spoke to the armed forces香蕉视频直播� role in the recovery.
香蕉视频直播淯nder the lead our of Canadian Special Forces香蕉视频直播� Command, personnel and air assets across from the Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Canadian Air Force have been mobilized in Yukon, in both Whitehorse and Dawson City,香蕉视频直播� he said.
香蕉视频直播淭hey are supporting initial search efforts, and the RCMP香蕉视频直播檚 on-the-ground recovery efforts to follow.香蕉视频直播�
McGillis spoke about the RCMP香蕉视频直播檚 role.
香蕉视频直播淭he RCMP is actively engaged with international, federal, provincial and territorial safety and security partners in response to the air incidents that have happened over the past several days,香蕉视频直播� he said.
香蕉视频直播淎s part of our efforts, we are working in close collaboration with Indigenous community leaders in recognition of their rights, respect, cooperation and partnership.香蕉视频直播�
McGillis mentioned the RCMP assesses and mitigates potential threats to Canada香蕉视频直播檚 national security on a case-by-case basis.
香蕉视频直播淲hile we are not aware of any specific threat to the public at this time, we ask everyone to be cautious and to allow authorized personnel to respond to the incident,香蕉视频直播� he said.
香蕉视频直播淪hould you locate any debris, please contact the RCMP directly.香蕉视频直播�
McGillis noted the methodical search is taking place in a vast part of the territory with what he described as 香蕉视频直播渢reacherous香蕉视频直播� terrain. There is no guarantee the object will be found.
香蕉视频直播淚t is unfortunately very rugged and mountainous terrain. The weather conditions are not great. There香蕉视频直播檚 a very high level of snow pack in the region, so our efforts are going to be difficult,香蕉视频直播� he said.
香蕉视频直播淭his is not going to be an easy recovery and it could potentially take us some time to locate the device.香蕉视频直播�
Prevost said authorities are using wind models that were available at the time of the shoot down to narrow down the scope of the 3,000-square-kilometre search area.
Prevost said there is no evidence of a system to propel these objects. He said these are 香蕉视频直播渓ighter-than-air objects香蕉视频直播� that follow the wind pattern. With the exception of the surveillance balloon, he said, there is no information on the capabilities of the other three objects.
Prevost said he could not release information on whether the device had been interfering with airplanes.
For the recovery aspect, McGillis said there are hazardous experts on site including investigators and people with explosive, chemical, biological and radiological backgrounds.
香蕉视频直播淏ecause we don香蕉视频直播檛 know what this is, we香蕉视频直播檙e exercising an abundance of caution,香蕉视频直播� he said.
Prevost said what is known about the three objects is that they appear to be smaller in size than the surveillance balloon. He said all three objects are different but follow the same pattern.
香蕉视频直播淲hat we know about these objects right now is they香蕉视频直播檙e unauthorized, they香蕉视频直播檙e unwanted, they are of concern, so we have to continue to try to find them,香蕉视频直播� he said.
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com
