Chinese spy balloon tracked over northern US: Pentagon

The US has been tracking a Chinese spy balloon that has been floating over the northern part of the country for days, Pentagon officials announced Thursday.

A top Pentagon official said the US intelligence community has “very high confidence” that the balloon belongs to the People’s Republic of China and has been flying over sensitive sites to collect information for the past two days.

The official, speaking anonymously, said that one of the locations the balloon has been spotted was over Montana — home to one of the US’ three nuclear missile silo fields at Malmstrom Air Force Base.

Fighter jets — including F-22s — were prepared to shoot the balloon down at President Biden’s direction and he was presented with options after which he proposed that the balloon be shot down, but his military leaders recommended against it out of safety concerns for civilians on the ground.

Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters in a brief statement that the balloon is“currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground.”

The defense official said that the US has been “engaged” with Chinese officials to communicate the gravity of the situation — which comes just days before Secretary of State Antony Blinken is scheduled to go to China.

“We have communicated to them the seriousness with which we take this issue,” the official said. “We have made clear we will do whatever is necessary to protect our people and our homeland.”

It’s not clear if the incident will affect Blinken’s travel plans.

Right now, the official said, following recommendations of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Army Gen. Mark A. Milley and Air Force Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, commander of U.S. Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command, the U.S. position is to allow the balloon to continue to float above the United States, rather than attempt to shoot is down.

The official added that similar balloon activity has been observed over the past several years. The US has taken steps to ensure no sensitive information is compromised.
The official could not comment on how large the balloon is but said it is visible to commercial pilots even at its high altitude.

The most concerning aspect regarding the balloon is its high altitude and the duration of its flight, he said.

Earlier this month, a newly declassified government report ed government report revealed that a majority of “UFO” sightings reported over the past year were actually balloon-like objects.

The sightings “continue to occur in restricted or sensitive airspace, highlighting possible concerns for safety of flight or adversary collection activity,” the Office of the Director of National Intelligence wrote.