The high-flying ball has not been shot down because it is feared that the falling debris could endanger people.
of the United States The Department of Defense says it is tracking a Chinese spy balloon flying high above the United States. According to the Pentagon, the Chinese ship appears to be monitoring US nuclear facilities.
President Joe Biden at the request of the Minister of Defense Lloyd Austin and the country’s top military commanders drew up a plan to shoot the balloon down. However, the plan was abandoned because the debris from the destroyed balloon was thought to endanger people on the ground.
An official source, who remained anonymous, told reporters about the matter. The balloon is said to be flying over the northwestern United States. There are several heavily guarded US military installations in the area, such as air force bases and missile silos.
“Clearly, this balloon is intended for reconnaissance, and the current flight path takes it over several sensitive targets,” the official source commented.
A balloon however, the intelligence risk caused is estimated to be low. The balloon reportedly entered US airspace a couple of days ago, and was on US intelligence radar long before this.
US fighter jets were sent to inspect the balloon while it was over the state of Montana. The balloon flies so high that it poses no danger to commercial air traffic.
China has sent reconnaissance balloons to the United States before, but the one spotted now has been in American airspace longer than usual.
According to an official source, the United States has lodged a protest with China about the balloon it detected. Relations between the United States and China have been strained recently due to, among other things, tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
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