The Pentagon determined that the high-altitude balloon found and intercepted by the US military on Friday was “likely” a “hobby balloon.”
In a statement on Saturday, NORAD, along with the Federal Aviation Administration, said the mysterious balloon was tracked from ground-based radars “until it left U.S. airspace overnight.”
“The balloon was intercepted by NORAD fighters over Utah, who determined that the balloon was not maneuverable and did not pose a threat to national security,” NORAD said.
The FAA also determined that the balloon did not pose a flight safety hazard. NORAD continues to work closely with the FAA to ensure flight safety.”
The latest discovery came after a Chinese spy balloon hovered over the US and was eventually shot down over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of South Carolina on February 4, 2023.
The US military intercepted a balloon floating over Utah on Friday. The Pentagon said it was not a threat
A similar balloon was found flying over the US and was eventually shot down off the coast of South Carolina on February 4, 2023.
The balloon, which entered US airspace over Alaska in January, eventually flew over a US military base in Montana before being shot down by an F-22 Raptor off the coast of Surfside Beach.
In June, the Pentagon said it had “intelligence collection capabilities” but that no data had been collected before the interception.
The discovery subsequently led to Beijing promising countermeasures, further straining a relationship already beset by trade practices, tariffs, Taiwan, human rights and China’s ties with Russia before President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine launched.
Republicans criticized President Joe Biden for not calling it down sooner. The incident led to a period in which the military shot down other unidentified objects.
The earlier incident forced Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel a planned trip to China, criticizing it as an “irresponsible act.”
In June, the president said he didn’t think “the leadership knew where it was, knew what was in it and knew what was going on,” calling it “more embarrassing than intentional.”
The balloon, which entered US airspace over Alaska in January, eventually flew over a US military base in Montana before being shot down
Last year’s incident revealed information about a series of sightings
China claimed the balloon was used for weather-related issues, even as US intelligence agencies concluded it was used for espionage.
The two leaders met for four hours at a historic home outside San Francisco. Their meeting began with a warm, double-folded handshake and a declaration from Xi that the world is “big enough” for both countries, despite years of increasing rhetoric and provocations.
“The China-US relationship has never been smooth sailing and always faces all kinds of problems,” Xi said through a translator when he met Biden.
‘Yet, despite all the twists and turns, things have continued to move forward. For China and the United States, turning their backs on each other is not an option. It is unrealistic for one party to reform the other, and conflict and confrontation have dire consequences for both parties. Planet Earth is big enough for the success of the two countries.”
Navy sailors recovered parts of the spy balloon after a US jet shot it down off the coast of South Carolina last year
In November, Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in San Francisco as the two held high-stakes talks on the US-China relationship.
Biden said it was “of utmost importance that we truly understand each other, from leader to leader,” as he underscored the risks if the two countries fail to find a way to get along despite their differences.
“We must ensure that competition does not devolve into conflict and we must manage that competition responsibly,” Biden told his colleague. “That is what the United States wants and what we intend to do. I believe the world wants that from both of us.
Xi, 70, told the 80-year-old Biden: “We bear heavy responsibilities for the world and for history.”
In recent news, former President Donald Trump said he plans to intensify his trade war with China if he wins the 2024 election.
Meanwhile, Biden plans to introduce a series of restrictions of his own that would prevent China from entering America’s “essential industries” such as electronics and semiconductor industries, in an effort to prevent American money from flowing into China.
