The balloon flew over the Aleutian Islands in the northern Pacific Ocean, then crossed Canadian airspace to the United States, where it flew over the state of Montana, at a much higher altitude to that of airliners, according to US media citing defense officials.
UA flying device suspected of being a Chinese spy balloon has been detected in United States airspace, according to the Pentagon. Here is what we know about this information, which alerted the army and the American and Canadian intelligence services.
Where is he ?
A US defense official said the balloon entered US airspace “a few days ago”, but its exact location was not released.
The balloon flew over the Aleutian Islands in the northern Pacific Ocean, then crossed Canadian airspace to the United States, where it flew over the state of Montana, at a much higher altitude to that of airliners, according to US media citing defense officials. It was as big as three buses combined, according to these sources.
Is it a Chinese ball?
“We have no doubt that it is a PRC balloon,” said a senior Pentagon official who requested anonymity, using the acronym for the People’s Republic of China.
In Beijing, the Chinese government assured that “a verification is in progress” about this information. “Making speculations and making things upside down even before the facts are established does not help in an appropriate resolution of the file”, warned a spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The question that arises is: Is it a balloon that is used to spy or a scientific platform that has drifted? “Said Xavier Pasco, director of the Foundation for Strategic Research (FRS) and specialist in space issues, interviewed by AFP.
What could the balloon spy on?
Its trajectory flew over a number of sensitive sites, according to the Pentagon official. “Clearly, he went over these sites to gather information. Montana is notably home to nuclear missile silos.
Why wasn’t he shot?
The balloon is large enough that its destruction will cause debris to land that could endanger residents, US officials said. The Pentagon considered several options, including knocking the balloon down when it was flying over a sparsely populated area, but deemed the risk still too high, according to a senior defense official.
“Does he pose a threat to civil aviation?” We believe that is not the case. Does he pose a significantly increased intelligence threat? Our assessment at this time is that this is not the case,” he added. “We believe that the risk of shooting him down, even low (…) was not worth taking”.
Is this the first Chinese spy balloon over the United States?
China has sent many balloons over the United States in recent years, the senior Pentagon official said. However, he said, this is the first time a Chinese balloon has stayed in US airspace for such a long period.
Haven’t satellites made spy balloons obsolete?
Tethered airships and balloons are used for long-standing military, espionage and surveillance purposes. In particular, they were widely used during the First World War.
But the conquest of space and advances in aviation have enabled satellites and spy planes to observe enemy territory more reliably.
