The US Department of Defense has been observing a Chinese spy balloon flying high above US territory for several days now. This was reported by a senior Pentagon official on Thursday.
US intelligence agencies have been tracking the balloon since it entered US airspace via Canada a few days ago, including through observations by manned military aircraft. The balloon would be in the stratosphere. “It is clearly a surveillance balloon and its trajectory currently takes it over sensitive sites,” particularly nuclear silos, an unnamed Pentagon official said. “It is clear that the purpose of this balloon is espionage,” an unnamed top US defense official told Reuters news agency.
The balloon is currently said to be over Montana, in the western US. It has been flying through US airspace for several days, but has been under observation for some time, the source said.
Shoot down
The Pentagon, at the request of President Joe Biden, investigated the possibility of shooting down the balloon, but decided not to do so because of the potential risk of falling debris, said the official responsible, who wished to remain anonymous. “We found that it is so large that the debris could cause damage if it were brought down in a residential area,” it said. Due to its high altitude, the balloon poses no threat to aircraft, according to the Pentagon.
Pat Ryder, the Pentagon spokesman, would only say that the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is observing the balloon’s movements. According to the spokesman, the device poses “no military or physical risk to the people on the ground”.
Rising tensions
It is not the first time that the airspace has been violated in this way. The balloon will stay above the US longer than usual this time. Washington is in contact with Beijing over the incident, which shows how far both superpowers will go to spy on each other amid mounting tensions.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has scheduled a visit to China in a few days. It is not known whether any changes will be made to those travel plans as a result of the surveillance balloon found.
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and don’t miss a thing of the stars.
#Pentagon #observes #Chinese #spy #balloon
