US Offers 'Leading Explanation' That 'Benign' Mystery Balloons 'Tied to Commercial or Research' Use

The unidentified flying objects saga, launched when the US shot down a Chinese balloon on February 4 over the Atlantic Ocean, and fuelled further after three more craft were downed in a matter of days over Alaska, Canada's Yukon, and over lake Huron, has been rife with speculation and wild theories.

The three puzzling unidentified flying objects downed over North America over recent days were possibly “benign” and served commercial or research purposes, the US authorities have stated.

Furthermore, toning down the spy hysteria, Washington conceded that there was no proof of any connection between the assorted-shaped aerial craft and Chinese surveillance.

"We haven't seen any indication or anything that points specifically to the idea that these three objects were part of the PRC's spying program, or that they were definitively involved in external intelligence collection efforts," National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said at a White House briefing on February 14.

Kirby emphasized that currently the "leading explanation" in the American intelligence community was that all of the “cylindrical” and “octagonal” objects were "balloons that were simply tied to commercial or research entities and therefore benign."

Kirby added that to date there was no official confirmation of ownership of the downed objects, unlike the case with the first incident, on February 4, involving a Chinese balloon.

When questioned why the US military had shot down the unmanned objects, said to have been flying at an altitude of 20,000 - 40,000 feet if they were likely “benign”, Kirby acknowledged they had opted to "err on the side of safety."

"Because we assessed that they weren't manned and weren't being controlled, and therefore left to atmospheric conditions, the real risk to safety was a problem," the National Security Council spokesperson stated.

For reference purposes, cruising altitude for commercial planes on transcontinental flights is between 33,000 and 38,000 feet (10,000 - 12,000 meters.)

Reports of the Chinese high-altitude airborne object first surfaced on February 2, after Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed to the public that intelligence officials had been tracking a perceived surveillance balloon over the Montana airspace. The Chinese Foreign Ministry, though confirming that the balloon was theirs, rejected US accusations of it being used for covert intelligence-gathering. It insisted the craft was an airship engaged in scientific research that blew off course and, in turn, accused the US of sending balloons to spy on China.

A vexed Kirby had responded by saying on Monday:

“We are not flying surveillance balloons over China. I’m not aware of any other craft that we’re flying over — into Chinese airspace.”

After the downing of the Chinese baloon, two more airborne objects at great altitude were taken down over Alaska (February 10), and Canada's Yukon Territory (February 11). Then a change in shape occured, as a fourth, octagonal, object was spotted and downed over lake Huron by a US F-16 fighter jet on Sunday afternoon on the instructions of President Joe Biden, according to the Pentagon.

Wreckage from the three downed objects is yet to be recovered, but the Chinese balloon was pulled out of the Atlantic Ocean by the US Navy. According to a statement from NORAD and US Northern Command on Tuesday, crews recovered “all of the priority sensor and electronics pieces identified as well as large sections of the structure.”