This is unacceptable. It's over our airspace without permission. We don't know who owns it. We should bring it down. It seems to me that it should be easy to outfit a jet to punch some small holes in the balloon with appropriate sized ammo and, possibly, bring it down without causing too much damage. Studying it might prove interesting.
February 23, 2024
Military tracking small high-altitude balloon over western US
by Brie Stimson and Liz Friden
Fox News
A small group of media were allowed an inside look at the NORAD command center at Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station on May 10, 2018 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The U.S. military is tracking a high-altitude balloon over the western United States, but it is not believed to be a threat.
In a statement, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said it had detected the "small balloon" drifting at an altitude between 43,000 and 45,000 feet.
Military jets intercepted the balloon over Utah and determined it was not maneuverable and did not present a threat to national security or other aircraft.
The origin of this balloon was not clear, but officials said they would continue to track it as it drifts east in the jet stream.
"In close coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) detected a small balloon at an altitude varying between 43,000-45,000 ft," North American Aerospace Defense Command Public Affairs told Fox News Digital. "The balloon was intercepted by NORAD fighters over Utah, who 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. NORAD remains in close coordination with the FAA to ensure flight safety."
Last year, a Chinese spy balloon was spotted passing over the United States before it was ultimately shot down off the coast of South Carolina.
That craft was presumably larger than the balloon spotted Friday, based on the military's description.
http://www.fox26houston.com/news/high-altitude-balloon-western-us-military
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