Pentagon Says Balloon Found Off Alaska Coast Had Been in ‘Ocean for Well Over a Year’

A U.S. Air Force pilot looked down at the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon as it hovered over the Central Continental United States February 3, 2023. Recovery efforts began shortly after the balloon was downed. Photo courtesy of the Department of Defense via Getty Images

An initial inspection of balloon debris found off the coast of Alaska by fishermen indicated that it had been in the ocean “for well over a year,” according to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).

Fishermen came across the debris on March 1. Upon finding the suspicious object, they alerted law enforcement, providing photos that raised concern among local officials, leading them to involve the FBI.

Pentagon spokeswoman Sue Gough said on March 24 that an inspection of the debris showed that it had been in the water for a significant period, but that further analysis is needed to ascertain the object.

“Initial inspection of the balloon debris indicates that the material has been in the ocean for well over a year,” Ms. Gough said in an emailed statement to The Epoch Times.

“Some material has been transferred to U.S. government facilities for further examination and analysis,” she added, without elaborating further. The origin of the balloon remains unclear.

The debris was initially placed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska following its discovery, according to the spokesperson. Ms. Gough previously said that the debris analysis will involve multiple agencies.

“We do not know why the balloon was in the waters off the coast of Alaska, nor are we going to characterize it at this time, but hope to learn more about the balloon’s origin and purpose after further analysis of the material, which will be conducted by multiple agencies,” she said on March 6.

The U.S. military first detected the balloon’s trajectory across the western United States last month.

However, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which is responsible for overseeing North American airspace in collaboration with Canada, assessed that the object didn’t pose an immediate threat.

A NORAD spokesperson previously told The Epoch Times that it and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) detected the small balloon flying at an altitude that varied between 43,000 and 45,000 feet.

Last year, the presence of high-altitude surveillance balloons in the United States sparked concerns. On Feb. 4, 2023, a U.S. F-22 fighter jet fired a missile at a balloon from an altitude of 58,000 feet in South Carolina. The balloon itself was flying between 60,000 to 65,000 feet in altitude, according to a senior defense official.

That incident further strained U.S. ties with China, which denied it was using the balloon to spy on the United States. Instead, China said the balloon was used for meteorological and other scientific purposes and strayed into U.S. airspace “completely accidentally.”

Caden Pearson and Reuters contributed to this report.