United States: The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), has reported that a fighter jet intercepted a small balloon flying over Utah.
However, NORAD officials determined that the balloon did not pose any national security threat and allowed it to continue flying over the United States. One of the US officials defined the balloon as being 50 feet tall and carrying a payload the size of a two-foot cube. According to the official, there is no information available about the contents of the payload.
The Defence Command said in the statement that, “In close coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected a small balloon at an altitude varying between 43,000-45,000 feet. The balloon was intercepted by NORAD fighters over Utah, who determined it was not manoeuvrable and did not present a threat to national security.”
“NORAD will continue to track and monitor the balloon. The FAA also determined the balloon posed no hazard to flight safety. NORAD remains in close coordination with the FAA to ensure flight safety,” the defence command stated. There is no clear indication of where the balloon came from. A US official said it is also unclear how NORAD first tracked it.
The incident comes a year after a Chinese spy balloon was tracked across the United States before being shot down by US fighters in US territorial waters east of South Carolina. That balloon was estimated to be about 200 feet in height and carried intelligence sensors. It was capable of being manoeuvred remotely.
The incident sparked tensions between the US and China, but relations have improved recently. NORAD later adjusted its sensors to better detect high-altitude balloons over the United States and Canada. As a result, small balloons were launched over Alaska, Canada’s Yukon Territory, and Lake Huron.
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