Utah
NORAD fighters intercept high-altitude balloon over Utah airspace
FILE – A Lockheed Martin F-16 Jet fighter performs its demonstration flight, June 22, 2011, at the 49th Paris Air Show at Le Bourget airport, east of Paris. People living in and around Washington D.C. experienced a rare, if startling, sound: A sonic boom. The U.S. military had dispatched a fighter jet on Sunday, June 4, 2023, to intercept an unresponsive business plane that was flying over restricted airspace. The Air Force gave the F-16 permission to fly faster than the speed of sound to catch up with it. (AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)
(AP Photo/Francois Mori, File)
SALT LAKE CITY — The North American Aerospace Defense Command confirmed that its fighters “intercepted” a mysterious balloon above Utah Friday afternoon.
In a statement, NORAD said it and the Federal Aviation Administration detected a small balloon at an altitude between 43,000 and 45,000 feet.
“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 stated.
The agency said it will continue to track and monitor the balloon. Authorities have determined the balloon does not pose a hazard to flight safety.
KSL has contacted the US Northcom about where the balloon was spotted over Utah.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated when more information is provided.