US tracking high altitude balloon over Midwest

The U.S. is tracking a high-altitude balloon over the Midwest, but it’s not clear whether the balloon is a threat, officials said.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said officials are tracking a small balloon at roughly 43,000 to 45,000 feet. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is also assisting with the monitoring of the balloon.

NORAD fighter jets scrambled over Utah and determined it was “not maneuverable 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,” officials said in a statement. “NORAD remains in close coordination with the FAA to ensure flight safety.”

The incident comes a little more than a year after China flew a spy balloon over the mainland U.S. before an American fighter jet shot it out of the sky off the South Carolina coast.

Beijing denied the balloon was used for reconnaissance, despite Washington showing evidence it had antennas and other surveillance equipment. China has also flown spy balloons over Taiwan and other countries in a campaign the U.S. says is global in scope.

Last year’s Chinese spy balloon incident tanked relations between the U.S. and China, which steadied slightly after a meeting between President Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in November.

The Chinese spy balloon also forced NORAD to tweak radars to look for more potential threats in high-altitude areas.