The United States has been tracking a mysterious flying object for a week

Did the Chinese revolutionize their airship technology? According to a CNN report, a newly developed flying object has been sighted. The CIA is keeping a low profile.

A pilot of a US fighter jet is on the lookout for suspicious flying objects. UPI Photo/Imago

Three months after the downing of a Chinese surveillance airship, the US military has its eyes on another mysterious flying object said to have flown over American soil. As reported by CNN, the Pentagon has been tracking the unidentified object for a week. It has already been sighted over Hawaii and is now moving towards Mexico. It’s not clear who or what it belongs to, but it didn’t fly over sensitive military installations, CNN said.

The first images of the flying object, which is said to resemble a zeppelin, were taken by the US satellite company BlackSky in November 2022. They show an airship about 30 meters long standing in the middle of a runway on a military base in the desert of north-west China.

CNN then presented the images to a number of aerospace experts. These would have confirmed that they show an airship and a runway. According to the information, there would be a 280 meter long hangar next to it. The flying object is now in the air and is being closely observed. This is not officially confirmed.

Are the Chinese building a “submarine of the air”

Oklahoma Aerospace Institute executive director Jamey Jacobs told CNN that an airship like this could be used as a “submarine of the sky.” That means it appears to have its own propulsion and navigational abilities, allowing it to hover over a given area for extended periods of time. “It’s really the next step for them in terms of advancing the technology and supporting research funding in that direction,” Jacobs continued.

CNN says it reached out to several congressional and administrative offices familiar with US intelligence information about China and declined to comment directly on the base or airship. The CIA hasn’t wanted to answer any questions about it either.

Such an airship at a military facility is apparently new

Researcher Eli Hayes, who has studied China’s airship program for years, explained that the airship’s appearance at a Chinese military facility marks a remarkable shift in Chinese airship technology. Because now this is no longer just civil. “It’s not just people talking about possible applications or use cases anymore,” Hayes told CNN, explaining that previous Chinese airships and achievements were built by research institutes and universities.

While it’s unclear whether these entities were involved in the development of this airship, Hayes points out that some of them are known to have close ties to the People’s Liberation Army, and at least one has been on a US sanctions list for decades.

“If I had to guess, (this airship) is probably some kind of test,” said William Kim, a surveillance balloon specialist at the Marathon Initiative, a nonprofit military and diplomatic research organization.