The chairman of the Joint Chief of Staffs said Tuesday that the first U.S. missile fired at an unidentified object over Lake Huron missed the second target and “landed harmlessly" in the water, but that the second one successfully hit.
The acknowledgment by Gen. Mark Milley of the errant strike comes amid questions about whether the shootdown of aerial objects that military officials say didn’t pose a threat is creating unnecessary risk.
The object taken down Sunday was the third in as many days to be shot from the skies. The White House has said the objects differed in size and maneuverability from a Chinese surveillance balloon that U.S. fighter jets shot down earlier this month, but that their altitude was low enough to pose a risk to civilian air space.
Milley said the Pentagon works to make sure that the air space is clear, and to evaluate the potential debris field, before embarking on such a strike.
