Flying machines are on everyone’s lips these days. On Friday, the US shot down one over Alaska. On Saturday it was Canada’s turn to shoot down one over the Yukon.

These events show that Canada is active in addressing these threats. But the very first Chinese ball event, held early last week, gives the impression that Canada has lagged behind the United States. The public was made aware of the vehicle’s presence after it exited Canadian airspace. This could give the impression that the Canadian authorities never discovered the spy balloon and only found out about its existence afterwards thanks to the Americans.

Rather, what we know of the affair indicates that Canada was involved from the start.

The US military claims to have discovered the Chinese balloon on January 28 while flying over the Aleutian Islands, which belong to Alaska.

North American airspace is defended by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), a Canadian-American military organization.

In a February 6 press conference, General Glen VanHerck, commander of the NORAD, was asked by a journalist why the balloon was not shot down immediately as it flew over the Aleutian Islands.

The general replied that he could not make that decision as the balloon showed no “hostile intent”. He then said the following:

“Besides, I kept the department up to date [de la Défense américain] and the Government of Canada – as [commandant du] NORAD, I also have a boss in Canada. »

“My boss is General Wayne Eyre, Chief of Defense Staff on the Canadian side. I can assure you that General Eyre has been kept informed,” said Commander VanHerck.

The balloon then departed Alaska to fly over the Northwest Territories, Alberta and Saskatchewan before re-entering US airspace on Jan. 31.

Its existence was announced on 01.01^ah February from the United States. The Canadian Ministry of Defense issued a press release on the same subject the next day.

“Canada and the United States have jointly decided to publicize the balloon’s presence at a convenient time, while considering operational safety,” a spokeswoman for Canada’s national defense told us.

“We have to strike a balance and make sure that we are not in any way compromising our operations and the techniques we are using to protect Canadians,” Canadian Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino told the CTV network, explaining this initial silence by Canadian authorities.

This shows that Canada was actively involved in managing this incursion into North American airspace.

The balloon was eventually shot down by a US Army fighter jet off the coast of South Carolina, a place where falling debris posed less of a risk. Last Thursday, the US government claimed the probe was equipped with surveillance equipment. According to the Pentagon, similar balloons have been sent from China to several locations around the world in recent years to gather intelligence on military bases.