A Pentagon official said Thursday that the United States has been tracking a Chinese spy balloon that has been hovering over the northern part of the country for several days.
A senior Pentagon official said the United States believes the aircraft is a Chinese high-altitude balloon that has been flying over key locations to gather intelligence over the past two days.
The official, who asked not to be identified, said one of the locations where the balloon was found was over Montana. Montana has one of the US’s three nuclear missiles his silo his field at Malmstrom Air Force Base.
Jet fighters, including F-22s, were ready to shoot down the balloon on White House orders, but the Pentagon said civilians on the ground were killed even though the balloon was over a remote Montana state. recommended against due to safety concerns.
Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. General Patrick Ryder told reporters in a brief statement that balloons “currently fly at much higher altitudes than commercial air traffic and pose no military or physical threat to people on the ground.” said in
Defense officials said the United States was “engaging” with Chinese officials to communicate the gravity of the situation. This comes a few days before Secretary of State Anthony Brinken is scheduled to visit China.
It is not clear whether the incident will affect Blinken’s travel plans.
Officials added that similar balloon activity has been observed for the past few years. The United States takes steps to ensure that confidential information is not compromised.
Officials couldn’t comment on the size of the balloon, but said it was visible to commercial pilots even at high altitudes.
The biggest concern with balloons is their altitude and flight time.
It’s still flying over America.
Earlier this month, a newly declassified government report revealed that the majority of reported “UFO” sightings last year were actually balloon-like objects.
Sightings “continue to occur in restricted or classified airspace, highlighting possible concerns for flight safety or enemy collection efforts,” the Office of the Director of National Intelligence wrote. .
with post wire
