Small, nonthreatening balloon intercepted over Utah by NORAD

SALT LAKE CITY — A small, non-threatening balloon high above the mountainous western United States was intercepted by a fighter jet over Utah on Friday, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

NORAD fighter pilots sent in the morning to examine the balloon determined it was “non-maneuverable” and did not pose a threat to national security, spokesman John Cornelio said. The balloon was still in the air and was being closely monitored.

NORAD, a joint military command charged with defending the skies over the U.S. and Canada, has not said where the balloon came from or why it flew over Utah and Colorado.

There has been increased interest in reports of balloon flights after the military identified – and ultimately shot down – a large, white Chinese spy balloon that crossed much of the country last year. But officials said the balloon intercepted Friday was not sent by a foreign adversary and did not pose a threat to aviation or U.S. security.

NORAD said it continued to work with the Federal Aviation Administration to track and monitor the balloon, which was detected at an altitude ranging between 43,000 feet (13,100 meters) and 45,000 feet (13,700 meters), Cornelio said. NORAD declined to specify where pilots encountered it in Utah.

Early reports of the balloon sighting had raised concerns among lawmakers, including U.S. Sen. Jon Tester and U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana, who said their offices were monitoring the situation. Utah Governor Spencer Cox’s office said it had been in contact with local military officials.

The Chinese balloon that was shot down off the coast of South Carolina last year after a weeklong flight over multiple military sites was part of a global surveillance program that Beijing has been conducting for “several years,” the Pentagon said. technology designed to collect intelligence signals, the Biden administration said.

China denied it was conducting military surveillance and said it was a civilian balloon that accidentally went off course while collecting weather data. After it was shot down, Chinese officials said they reserved the right to “take further action” and criticized the U.S. for “a clear overreaction and a serious violation of international practice.”

Similar spy balloons linked to the People’s Liberation Army – the military wing of China’s ruling Communist Party – have been found floating above five continents. Just last month, Taiwan’s Ministry of Defense discovered four Chinese balloons, including three that reportedly flew past a major air base.