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Photo from February 2023: Last year, a Chinese balloon caused a stir over the USA
Photo: Larry Mayer / AP
The US military is monitoring a balloon that was spotted over the western part of the country.
As several US media outlets consistently report, the flying object is being pursued by fighter jets.
However, there is currently no danger either on the ground or in the air.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) reportedly described the object as a "small balloon" driven by the wind at an altitude of about 13 kilometers.
Fighter jets were sent to intercept the balloon over the state of Utah.
The military determined that the balloon was not maneuverable, but also "does not pose a threat to national security," according to a NORAD statement.
The US-Canadian Air Defense Agency will continue to track and monitor the balloon.
It is currently unclear where the balloon comes from and what the purpose of the overflight is.
Parallels to an incident last year
Just over a year ago, a similar discovery caused a stir.
In February 2023, a Chinese balloon was flying over the USA.
Chinese authorities said at the time that the balloon would be used for weather research.
The USA suspected espionage.
The balloon was eventually shot down over the Atlantic by a US fighter jet.
“In our assessment, the balloon did not collect any data while it flew over the United States,” the Pentagon said in June 2023.
Since the incident, the US military has monitored the airspace more closely.
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