The US Air Force shot down an unidentified flying object in February 2023 using a $500,000 missile, which turned out to be a Boy Scouts' weather balloon.
According to Oxu.Az, the New York Post reported this, citing Sean Kirkpatrick, former director of the Pentagon's Anomaly Resolution Office.
The incident occurred about a week after the downing of a Chinese aerostat near South Carolina. After that, US forces began striking any noticeable unknown objects.
The Boy Scouts launched the balloon for a research project, but it was destroyed by an AIM-9 Sidewinder missile valued at $500,000.
Recall that in early February 2023, the US government detected a Chinese aerostat at high altitude and shot it down on February 4. China claimed it was a weather balloon that accidentally entered US airspace.
