U.S. ends search of two objects shot down in February

The U.S. government has alleged the balloon are part of an ongoing, global “fleet” of Chinese espionage balloons

The U.S. military says it has ended its search for airborne objects that were shot down near Deadhorse, Alaska, and over Lake Huron on February 10 and 12.

In a statement released late Friday, U.S. Northern Command said the decision came after the U.S. and Canada “conducted systematic searches of each area using a variety of capabilities, including airborne imagery and sensors, surface sensors and inspections, and subsurface scans, and did not locate debris.”

Northern Command said air and maritime safety perimeters were being lifted at both sites.

The announcement capped three dramatic weeks that saw U.S. fighter jets shoot down four airborne objects — a large Chinese balloon on February 4 and three much smaller objects about a week later over Canada, Alaska and Lake Huron. They are the first known peacetime shootdowns of unauthorized objects in U.S. airspace.