WASHINGTON May 2 US military says they didn't see the need to shoot down an unidentified balloon that flew over the Hawaiian Islands in late April.
A Pentagon spokesman confirmed that an unmanned balloon was seen in US airspace on April 28, flying away from defense facilities, and did not pose a threat to people on the ground and aircraft in the air.
«Based on these observations, the Secretary of Defense agreed with the recommendation of the military command not to take any action against the balloon. Now it is outside the airspace and territorial waters of Hawaii,» the agency's source said.
He added that the military saw no indication that the balloon was under the control of «foreign or hostile» elements.
In February, the US military shot down a balloon over the Atlantic that they claimed was being used by the Chinese to collect intelligence information.