U.S. News
Pentagon tracks suspected Chinese spy balloon spotted over Montana [Video]
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- U.S. authorities initially ordered a ground stop and mobilized military assets to prepare to shoot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon.
- Officials ultimately decided against it because it could cause a large debris field when it crashes down.
- Officials maintained that it did not pose a military threat and is unlikely to get any significant information.
Residents of northern U.S. states have spotted a mysterious object hovering in the sky in recent days. The U.S. government has confirmed that it is looking into a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that may have been gathering intelligence over U.S. military bases.
According to a senior defense official, they are “confident” that the balloon belongs to the People’s Republic of China. They added that the balloon was being tracked for “some time” and entered U.S. airspace a “couple of days ago.”
On Wednesday, a meeting was convened between Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and senior Department of Defense leadership to discuss options.
Officials initially considered shooting it down once it was spotted over Montana, thus ordering “a ground stop at Billings Airport and the mobilization of a number of assets, including F-22.” However, military commanders ultimately decided not to. Even with protective measures, taking it down would pose a greater risk to the surrounding area and civilians on the ground.
A senior U.S. official told Fox News that the government is still considering a variety of options, which still includes shooting the balloon down once it was safe to do so. The balloon appeared to carry heavy equipment that could create a large debris field if shot down.
On Thursday afternoon, Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said that the government “is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon” that is flying “well above commercial air traffic.” He added that it currently “does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground.”
Ryder added that similar instances have been observed over the past years, and that the government “acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information.”
At the time, Austin was paying a visit to the Philippines’ Camp Navarro, around 2,000 miles from China. The U.S. and the Philippines had agreed to increase military presence within the islands amid escalating tensions between China and Taiwan.
The official said that while the balloon is flying “over sensitive sites” in a potential effort to “collect information,” it does not present a military threat and is unlikely gathering information of significant value to China.
Source: Fox News
Tony Bell
February 4, 2023 at 7:38 am
China has satellites that can zoom in with enough clarity to read the date on a dime laying on the side walk, what could the so called spy balloon see that they don’t?
N.K.
February 4, 2023 at 10:24 am
It might not be what it is seeking, but rather what it could contain. To me, it doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility that it could contain some sort of chemical/biological substance, that if shot down, could do worse damage than just debris they had mentioned. The US must come up with a way to subdue/capture this sort of threat if they haven’t already done so.
Chad
February 4, 2023 at 12:53 pm
Commie Joe Bidet allows his pals the Communist Chinese to
invade our aurspsce with a balloon to fly over ,photograph
our nuclear and military sites ! Tru tin form ,the inept ,corrupt
Marxist diddles and does nothing .
Trump would have ordered it destroyed immediately .
John J
February 4, 2023 at 8:15 am
This SPY balloon must NEVER be allowed to return to China
Uncle Art
February 4, 2023 at 8:16 am
Simple : you drop a skydiver and he gets close to it, then he grapples it with a parachute pop the balloon, chute opens and glides to the ground. Then they have the thing to see what it is !!
Or just blow it up into tiny pieces !!
Or just let the rednecks get it as they always figure out a way to Git ‘R’ Done 😁
Master Turkeychoker
February 4, 2023 at 8:26 am
i seriously doubt the intelligence of the pentagon. they likely been tracking that balloon since it was launched.
Don
February 4, 2023 at 8:48 am
True…they’re part of the political cabal in Washington anymore and NOT there to defend the country as intended. No one knows what the balloons are transmitting back to China and they ARE over sovereign territory and being allowed to do so by those who took an oath to defend the country.
Michael Goodson
February 4, 2023 at 9:05 am
It should be never allowed in our airspace. Send fighter jets to escort it or face extinction. They have been building near our military complexes and they know it. This is full example of our administrations weakness. Until Biden and Myorkis is impeached this will become worse.
Dr. Calagary
February 4, 2023 at 9:10 am
I question from where it was launched
Roland
February 4, 2023 at 9:14 am
This not funny comedy act by the US government shows how little they care about America and it’s citizens. China had the responsibility to let America know that this balloon was going to enter Americas air space but it didn’t. China said nothing. It traveled over Alaska and Canada and half way across continental United States and still no notification. And then the piece of shit American government does nothing but make moron excuses for not shooting it down. The horse shit excuse about concerns about a debris field is asinine. If the balloon deflates what it is attached to drops as a single item. You would have to be brain dead to buy the debris field excuse. There is no mention about ever trying to force it to land. After they deploy the tactical Nuke they are carrying our government will give them a safe escort home. And for the people that are going to say don’t have a Nuke on board what would make you think not?
billi
February 4, 2023 at 9:44 am
My analysis is; It’s full of AI recording instruments (developed by Google) and it is sweeping up all the electronic signals — cell phones, computer, radio, TV, police dispatches — any stray electron. All AI needs is massive amounts of Data to analyze and make sense of it. The Chinese are great at using our own great companies to their advantage.
Ray
February 4, 2023 at 9:48 am
You might recall our U2 flights and the enemy response?
CPO Bill
February 4, 2023 at 9:57 am
Must not touch it or the chinks will stop paying hunter!
Vince V
February 4, 2023 at 2:15 pm
I started reading an article that could put this all in perspective. China sent a balloon to test us. That balloon could have been carrying a nuclear device that when detonated would cause an EMP and send the U.S. back to the dark ages. The balloon was flying high enough that one device could cover our entire country.. China has been buying up all the grain, corn, wheat and rice that they can and is storing it. Why? Because China gets most of its food from other countries and they are preparing to go to war with the U.S. and maybe NATO. The buying up of all the food and sending over a balloon, that could contain an EMP device could be a prerequisite to war.
Alex
February 4, 2023 at 2:29 pm
The comments here are very laughable. Sounds like most of the people posting comments here are complete idiots and very clueless about technical things, not to mention politics and the inner workings of our government. It just might be possible that the decision making powers know a lot more than the conspiracy theory believing hoopleheads posting here! And it’s no secret that trump is an idiot, he would probably be asking, what is a ballon and how can it be up there without wings!!
It is true that we have more to fear from stupid people than from evil ones!!!
Sean Richman
February 5, 2023 at 9:18 pm
This spy thing should have been disintegrated before it reached Canadas or Americas coastline.Weather balloon,”BULL EXHAUST”,the chinese lie more than the democ rats,if thats possible.