US authorities spot new balloon flying west of country at high altitude: reports

This NORAD fighter pilots left Friday morning to investigate the balloon They determined it was not manipulative and did not pose a threat to national security, spokesman John Cornelio said.

Reports of balloons flying over the United States have increased interest in recent months after the military identified (and eventually shot down) them. A Chinese spy balloon that crossed a large part of the country last year

. But officials say the balloon intercepted Friday was not sent by a foreign adversary and poses no threat to U.S. aviation or security.

NORAD has not disclosed where the balloon came from or why it was seen flying over Utah and Colorado.

Last year, the US Officials shot down a large white Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina after a weeklong sweep across the country, which the Pentagon said was part of a larger surveillance program that China has been conducting for “several years.” China responded that it reserved the right to “take additional measures” and criticized the United States for “obvious overreaction and grave violation of international practice”.

NORAD continues Working in close coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration to track and observe the balloon, which was discovered at an altitude of about 44,000 feet (13,400 meters), Cornelio said.

Initial reports that the military was tracking the balloon over the western United States suggested that the U.S. San John Tester and Montana’s US. Rap. That raised concerns among lawmakers, including Matt Rosendale, who said his offices were monitoring his movements.