'Object' shot down over Alaska penetrated US airspace before being detected: US official

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China spy craft, ‘high altitude object’ should be a ‘wake up call’ to rebuild US Air Force: Lt. Gen. David Deptula

Ret. U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula responds to reports from the Department of Defense on the downing of a ‘high-altitude object’ over Alaska on ‘Cavuto Live.’

A senior U.S. official has confirmed to Fox News that the "object" shot down over Alaska on Friday entered U.S. airspace before it was detected. 

The official told Fox News the object was detected by the U.S. military while it was "over Alaska not far from the northern coast" on Thursday night.

DID KIRBY 'BURY THE LEDE' IN REVEALING SHOOTDOWN OF 'OBJECT' OVER ALASKAN ARCTIC?

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby confirmed Friday afternoon during a White House press briefing that the U.S. military shot down an "object" that was flying in territorial waters over Alaska.

Kirby added that the "object" landed on frozen waters, and that "Fighter aircraft assigned to U.S. Northern Command took down the object within the last hour."

Kirby announced that the U.S. military, following President Joe Biden’s order, has just shot down a "high-altitude object," over Alaska.  ( Alex Wong/Getty Images)

US MILITARY SHOOTS DOWN 'OBJECT' FLYING IN TERRITORIAL WATERS OVER ALASKA

He also added that the "object" was "much, much smaller than the spy balloon that we took down last Saturday."

Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson, said Friday afternoon that the military has located a significant amount of debris from the object, stating that it was shot down by an F-22 using an A9X missile out of Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska.

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(Off the Coast of South Carolina) – FBI Agents search for possible material if the High Altitude Balloon off the coast of South Carolina. (FBI)

Ships scan the sea during efforts to retrieve and recover the Chinese spy balloon after Chinese spy balloon was shot down in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Feb. 5, 2023. (Peter Zay/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Just over a week ago, defense officials said that a Chinese spy craft was spotted over Billings, Montana. After it traveled at high altitudes around 60,000 feet, it was shot down on Saturday by an F-22 using a single A9X missile.

Fox News' Adam Sabes contributed to this report.