The Federal Aviation Administration has detected another suspicious unmanned balloon floating at 36,000 feet over America, this time near the coast of Hawaii on April 28.
The balloon’s ownership is unclear, but the Department of Defense and the FFA are tracking the mystery object.
A DoD spokesman confirmed that the balloon didn’t travel over military installations or sensitive government sites. There was no apparent danger to Hawaii’s population.
The balloon’s altitude is consistent with commercial aircraft, but its position was not a concern to flights entering or leaving Hawaii. Military authorities felt that no defensive action was warranted against the balloon.
The balloon has left Hawaiian airspace, but the Defense Department and the Federal Aviation Administration will continue to monitor its direction and altitude.
In February of 2023, a Chinese spy balloon was spotted crossing Montana over Malmstrom Air Force Base, where the 341 Missile Wing is located as part of the Air Force Global Strike Command.
The Chinese balloon continued crossing America, heading toward the East Coast in a southeasterly direction.
U.S. officials were confident the balloon was a surveillance tool by Beijing. Chinese officials dismissed it as a civilian balloon that had drifted off course.
Many experts felt the balloon was more than capable of sending information back to China. The Biden Administration insisted that no intelligence was compromised, but the balloon passed over several military installations and seemed to have directional capability on board.
John Villasenor, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, confirmed the Chinese balloon could change direction in ways most balloons at high altitudes don’t have. He said the best most balloon can do is go up or go down, but the wind controls most.
The Chinese balloon traversed the United States before being shot down by Air Force fighter jets off the South Carolina coastline.
When the Chinese balloon was recovered and examined, it was found to have solar panels. It contained high-tech equipment and pod collection equipment capable of collecting and disseminating information.
