The Pentagon has confirmed that balloon fragments recovered off the coast of Alaska last month appear to have been underwater for “more than a year.”
Pentagon spokeswoman Sue Goff confirmed to Fox News Digital that initial inspections of the balloon “indicated” it had “been underwater for more than a year.”
“Some materials were transferred to a U.S. government facility for further investigation and analysis,” Goff said.
Military tracks high-altitude balloon over western U.S.
Department of Defense, Washington, March 27, 2008. The Pentagon plans to install solar panels on the Pentagon as part of the Biden administration’s plan to promote energy conservation and clean energy. (AP Photo/Charles Dalapak, File)
The balloon was first spotted by a U.S. military plane and was determined to pose no threat in February.
The balloon’s origin and its purpose are still unknown, two officials previously told FOX News Digital.
The balloon drifted east on the jet stream.
In this image provided by the Department of Defense on Wednesday, February 22, 2023, a U.S. Air Force U-2 pilot looks down at a surveillance balloon believed to be from China hovering over the United States on February 3, 2023. (Department of Defense, via AP, File)
1 year ago, Chinese spy balloon It was spotted and shot down after flying over the United States for several days.
The Department of Defense stated in June: China’s balloons had “intelligence gathering capabilities,” but no data was collected until they were shot down.
Biden claims China’s spy balloons were ‘even more embarrassing’ for China, suggests it was not ‘intentional’
“We have also taken steps to mitigate the potential effort of that balloon,” said Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said in June.
On February 4, 2023, what appears to be a Chinese reconnaissance balloon drifts into the ocean after being shot down off the coast of Surfside Beach, South Carolina, USA. (Randall Hill/Reuters)
intelligence agency, spy balloon used as a spyThis is not a weather-related issue, as China has claimed.
It is believed that the information captured by the reconnaissance balloon was not successfully transmitted to Beijing. It is unclear why the spying mission appeared to have failed, but officials said intelligence agencies took steps to prevent data collection.
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A Chinese reconnaissance balloon flew from Alaska to the East Coast, but was shot down by the military over the Atlantic Ocean on February 4.
FOX News’ Bree Stimpson contributed to this report.
