By now everyone is aware of the multiple objects shot down over North American airspace in the last week or so.  One of those objects was shot down over Alaska, which is able to be reached by land from the continental U.S. through Canada.

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Call it interesting timing, but NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) sent out a press release letting residents of Washington State and British Columbia know that they were going to conduct "Air Defense Exercises" off their respective coasts.  The exercises were done yesterday (February 15th).

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Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Charles Vaughn
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In their release NORAD made sure to let us know that their top priority was the defense of Canada and the United States and that they are on alert "24/7/365".  They also told us this planned live-fly exercise is something routinely done to test response systems and equipment.  I don't doubt any of that...not a shred of it.

Then they let us know American and Canadian aircraft, including fighters, would be flying at high altitudes as part of the exercise.  Here is the part that got me...and I quote..."This exercise is in no way related to recent NORAD and U.S. Northern Command operations associated with airborne objects over North America during the last two weeks." RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT.  That is where you lost me.

Photo by Master Corporal Arthur Ark, Image Data Systems (IDS), AETE.
Photo by Master Corporal Arthur Ark, Image Data Systems (IDS), AETE.
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So you want me to believe that after a Chinese spy balloon entered US airspace over Alaska and made it's way (at high altitudes mind you) to Montana before it was detected by the human eye and then allowed to traverse across the rest of the Country (again at high altitudes) before it was eventually shot down over the Atlantic Ocean, that this has NOTHING to do with that?

Let's not forget the three other objects, a second over Alaska, one over Canada, and the final one over Lake Huron (which the first shot missed)...that is four in 8 days and we're supposed to believe the exercise is a total coincidence.  I'm glad the exercises are happening, but tell me... if you are on alert "24/7/365" how was the first balloon missed?  Or was it not missed and you were told not to do anything about it?

U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman Basic Mira Roman
U.S. Air National Guard photo by Airman Basic Mira Roman
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I'm all for military exercises to keep things tight, but I'm also for transparency...especially when the explanation for said exercise doesn't fit the events of the last 8 days.

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