Canadian Coast Guard Bell 429s have joined the search for debris from an unidentified flying object shot down on Sunday. While it is believed the object was downed in an area near Manitoulin Island, the helicopter search focused on an area substantially south near the eastern shore of Lake Huron in the Kincardine, Ontario vicinity. Kincardine is proximate to the world’s largest nuclear powerplant, the Bruce Nuclear Generating Station.
The unidentified object, reported to be octagonal in shape, was shot down by a U.S. Air National Guard F-16 from the 148th Fighter Wing in Duluth, Minnesota. Earlier this week, the Pentagon acknowledged that the initial firing of an AIM 9X “sidewinder” air-to-air missile at the target missed its mark and that the object was downed with a second shot.
The 429s joined a debris search fleet that included a Canadian C-130J and several surface ships from both the U.S. and Canada. The Canadian Coast Guard operates a fleet of 15 Bell 429 light twins.