In a recent incident where the U.S. tried to stop an unidentified flying object (UFO), something strange happened. They used two AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles, but they lost track of the first one.
Here’s what happened: On a Sunday, an F-16 fighter jet shot down an airborne object over Lake Huron, Michigan, using one of these missiles. The object was flying at about 20,000 feet. President Biden gave the green light for this action based on recommendations from the Defense Secretary and military leaders.
The Department of Defense said this object wasn’t considered a “military threat,” but they thought it might be a danger because it could do surveillance. On Monday, they said they were trying to find any remains of the object that fell into U.S. airspace. They first spotted it on Saturday evening.
In a similar situation, they used two AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles to shoot down another UFO over Canada on Saturday, and they took down a third UFO in Alaskan airspace with the same type of missile on Friday. Interestingly, these were all AIM-9X Sidewinders.
However, the Sunday incident had a hiccup. The F-16 jet missed its first shot. According to U.S. officials, they needed a second Sidewinder missile, but they’re not sure where the first one ended up.
The Defense Department knows about this situation but hasn’t shared more details for now.
These missiles, originally made for air defense by the U.S. Navy, were adapted for fighter aircraft by the Air Force. They’re super-fast air-to-air missiles that use heat-seeking technology and have powerful warheads. Each missile costs a lot, somewhere between $430,818 and $472,000, according to estimates from the 2021 defense budget. The AIM-9X Sidewinder is the newest version of these missiles.