U.S. Military Tracking Another Mysterious Balloon Flying Over Hawaii
May 1 2023, Published 5:27 p.m. ET
The U.S. military announced on Monday that intelligence officials were tracking another mysterious "spy" balloon that was spotted hovering over Hawaii, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The new sighting marked the first since a Chinese balloon was shot down off the coast of South Carolina in early February.
While military officials initially claimed that they were able to block the Chinese balloon from intercepting sensitive information as it traveled over military bases, the object was able to gain intelligence during its travels.
According to NBC News, at this time, it's unknown where the latest balloon originated or its purpose.
Officials claimed that the balloon flew over Hawaii, however, it was not believed that the object traveled over sensitive areas, including military bases.
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Officials recovering UFO debris.
The U.S. military has tracked the unidentified flying object (UFO) since late last week.
Over the course of the balloon being monitored by intelligence officials, it was determined that the UFO posed no immediate threat to civilians or airspace.
One military official stated that the balloon was not sending any communication signals, either.
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While the purpose of the UFO was still unknown, an official announced that the U.S. military was prepared to shoot down the object if it came too close to land.
The slow-moving balloon, which appeared to not be maneuverable, was headed towards Mexico.
Military officials were still working to determine whether or not the UFO was a weather balloon — and if it belonged to the Chinese government, as was the case with previous UFOs.
Officials recovering UFO debris.
After the U.S. military shot down the UFO that was spotted traveling over South East, it was determined that the object possessed communication technologies and belonged to the Chinese government.
Chinese officials defended their position that the balloon was not being used for intelligence purposes — and was instead a harmless weather balloon that blew off course.
After the initial balloon was shot down, several others followed in its footsteps.
Critics initially bashed the Biden administration and military officials for a so-called delayed response, however, those familiar with military intelligence applauded the government's reaction, which led to additional discovery of the object's intent.