Canada’s chief of the defence staff said Tuesday he wanted Canadian fighter jets to shoot down the unidentified object that flew over Yukon last month, but they were prevented from reaching the area first due to weather slowing their takeoff.
But Gen. Wayne Eyre told the House of Commons standing committee on national defence the operation that saw a U.S. military jet ultimately take the shot was “almost textbook” and reflected the importance of NORAD, the continental air defence network. “I gave direction that it would be preferable for the Canadian CF-18s to do the shootdown, but whoever had the first best shot to ensure we had it,” he said.
That ended up being the U.S. after the closest CF-18 fleet, based at CFB Cold Lake northeast of Edmonton, was delayed from taking off, Eyre explained. “I will say they were delayed in departing Cold Lake because of freezing rain.
I understand that the airstrip was a bit of a skating rink, as happens in northern Alberta. So in all operations there is some friction.” Read more: U.S.