Pentagon tracking suspected Chinese spy balloon over the US

by 8DonCo Fri Feb 03, 2023 8:11 am

The US is tracking a suspected Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon over the continental United States, a senior defense official said on Thursday.

The Pentagon has been tracking the balloon for several days as it made its way over the northern United States, Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said.

“We are confident that this high-altitude surveillance balloon belongs to the [People’s Republic of China],” the senior defense official said. “Instances of this activity have been observed over the past several years, including prior to this administration.”
“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,” Ryder said, adding that the US military decided against shooting the balloon down.

While the balloon’s current flight path carries it over “a number of sensitive sites,” the official said it does not present a significant intelligence gathering risk. The balloon is assessed to have “limited additive value” from an intelligence collection perspective, the official added.

The US believes Chinese spy satellites in low Earth orbit are capable of offering similar or better intelligence, limiting the value of whatever Beijing can glean from the high-altitude balloon, which is the size of three buses, according to another defense official.
“It does not create significant value added over and above what the PRC is likely able to collect through things like satellites in low Earth orbit,” the senior defense official said.

The US government has engaged with the Chinese government both through the Chinese embassy in Washington and the US diplomatic mission in China, according to the official.
It was the “strong recommendation” of senior military leaders, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, “not to take kinetic action due to the risk to safety and security of people on the ground from the possible debris field,” the official said.

US national security officials have constantly warned about Chinese espionage efforts and the balloon’s presence in the US comes at a sensitive moment with Secretary of State Antony Blinken expected to travel to Beijing in the coming days, a significant trip meant to follow up on President Joe Biden’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping last year.

by 8DonCo Fri Feb 03, 2023 10:14 pm

China claims balloon over the US is a weather research ‘civilian airship’ that blew off course

The Chinese foreign ministry claimed Friday that the suspected Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon flying over the continental United States is a “civilian airship” used mainly for weather research that deviated from its planned course.

The statement, by a spokeperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, is the first admission that the airship originated in China since the Pentagon revealed it was tracking the balloon on Thursday.

“It is a civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological, purposes. Affected by the Westerlies and with limited self-steering capability, the airship deviated far from its planned course. The Chinese side regrets the unintended entry of the airship into US airspace due to force majeure,” the Chinese foreign ministry said.

“The Chinese side will continue communicating with the US side and properly handle this unexpected situation caused by force majeure,” the statement added, using a legalistic term to mean circumstances beyond China’s control.
The discovery of the balloon presents major complications for Secretary of State Tony Blinken’s expected trip to Beijing, US officials said. A US military official said the incident is serious because of the “audacity” of the Chinese government, rather than any intelligence gain. While existing satellites are able to gather similar amounts of information, the timing of the spy balloon – right before the planned Blinken trip – and the fact that this is right over the continental US contribute to the seriousness of this moment, the official said.

by 8DonCo Fri Feb 03, 2023 10:15 pm

Tàu nó tới ngay sân nhà của Mỹ scratch

by tech Fri Feb 03, 2023 10:45 pm

))....Weather Research Smile

)).

-TECH-

by LoveStory08 Fri Feb 03, 2023 11:05 pm

We should shoot it down hehe

by 8DonCo Sat Feb 04, 2023 3:21 am

tech wrote:))....Weather Research )).

-TECH-

Thích coi thời tiết gần căn cứ quân sự của Mỹ ở Montana :Giggling:

by LDN Sat Feb 04, 2023 3:34 am

đọc báo nói Mỹ 0 dám bắn hạ sợ mảnh vỡ rớt trúng dân, trúng này trúng kia.

by 8DonCo Sat Feb 04, 2023 3:43 am

LDN wrote:đọc báo nói Mỹ 0 dám bắn hạ sợ mảnh vỡ rớt trúng dân, trúng này trúng kia.

not really, Mỹ muốn "bắt sống" nó , tiểu bang Montana đa số empty land

by tech Sat Feb 04, 2023 6:39 am

anh 8: ừ nó cũng biết chổ để theo giỏi thời tiết Smile

)))

-TECH-

by 8DonCo Sat Feb 04, 2023 8:22 am

Another Chinese spy balloon is transiting Latin America, Pentagon says

The Pentagon said Friday evening that another Chinese spy balloon is currently transiting Latin America.

“We are seeing reports of a balloon transiting Latin America. We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon,” press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said in a statement to CNN.

It is unclear exactly where the balloon is over Latin America – but a US official tells CNN it does not appear to be currently heading to the United States.

by 8DonCo Sat Feb 04, 2023 10:09 pm

The suspected Chinese spy balloon is expected to continue east and could leave the continental US Saturday morning, based off a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association weather model.

The projection as of Friday night had the balloon moving off the coast near the Outer Banks.

Two US defense officials also told CNN the balloon was expected to reach the East Coast and then pass out to sea in the southeast, near the Carolinas, with one official saying it could exit the eastern seaboard on Saturday.

There has been no official word yet on any specific location of the balloon Saturday morning.

The NOAA weather model known as HYSPLIT is used to simulate the dispersion or trajectory of substances dispersed into the atmosphere. It's provided analysts with insights on the balloon's expected movements, based on its previous locations.

This was the anticipated trajectory, as of Friday evening:

Pentagon tracking suspected Chinese spy balloon over the US Dc0e1b1f-e732-4e6a-a548-8dd55c5bc6a4

Pentagon tracking suspected Chinese spy balloon over the US Dc0e1b1f-e732-4e6a-a548-8dd55c5bc6a4

by LoveStory08 Sun Feb 05, 2023 12:30 am

Pentagon advised not to shoot it down…. yet :Giggling:

by LoveStory08 Sun Feb 05, 2023 3:01 am

Balloon shot down!

by tech Sun Feb 05, 2023 3:49 am

US took it down - Smile

)

by Rice Sun Feb 05, 2023 4:06 am

about time Smile

by 8DonCo Sun Feb 05, 2023 4:41 am

Bắn trước khi nó bay ra khỏi không phận

by 8DonCo Sun Feb 05, 2023 5:14 am

Blinken says he warned China that US would take any action "deemed appropriate to protect our interests"

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken “made clear" in his conversation with top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi on Friday morning that the US "reserved the right to take whatever action we deemed appropriate to protect our interests," a US senior administration official told CNN Saturday.

The official was responding to a question about whether the US government informed the Chinese government before downing the surveillance balloon.

US military officials shot down the suspected spy balloon off the East Coast Saturday afternoon, over the Atlantic Ocean near the Carolinas.

by 8DonCo Sun Feb 05, 2023 5:14 am

Trung Cộng vuốt râu cọp, Mỹ quạu lắm , lời lẽ hơi nặng Smile

by tech Sun Feb 05, 2023 5:57 am

huh not done yet Smile

) there is 2nd balloon in Latin America hahahah Smile

))....

-TECH-

by Cuom Sun Feb 05, 2023 7:28 am

Chinese càng ngày càng lộ bản tánh hung hăng hé. Nó có thê spy kín đáo, nhưng nó không làm mà lại làm cách này chọc tức Mỹ chơi

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Pentagon tracking suspected Chinese spy balloon over the US