These are new, probably politically explosive details. The alleged Chinese weather balloon shot down by the US Air Force in early February may have sent far more military-related information back to China than previously known. US television networks NBC and CNN both reported that the balloon, even after it was spotted, appears to have continued to send real-time information to receiving stations in China. The antennas on board the balloon were said to be able to pick up electronic signals from American weapons systems on the ground and intercept communications from ground personnel. In some cases he was maneuvered in such a way that he flew an eight over militarily sensitive areas in the air in order to collect as many signals as possible.
FBI experts evaluate balloon parts recovered from the sea
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby declined to confirm the reports. But he stressed that after the balloon was spotted, the US government took precautions to limit the ability of onboard devices to collect data. According to NBC information, the US military has apparently temporarily relocated or switched off weapon systems that were considered possible spying targets by the Chinese.
According to official American information, US air traffic control discovered the balloon on January 28 over the US state of Alaska. It flew over Canadian territory and then the US state of Montana, where it appeared to be specifically circling over Malstrom Air Force Base. Some of the American intercontinental nuclear missiles are stationed in the region. At this time, the first reports and photos of the white balloon appeared in US media. However, the government in Washington allowed the vehicle to continue flying for fear that falling debris could damage the ground if it were shot down, as it was said at the time. Immediately after the balloon reached the Atlantic coast on February 4, US President Joe Biden cleared it for launch.
Since then, Navy divers have recovered debris from the 60-meter balloon, including the payload, from the coastal area off the US state of South Carolina. FBI experts evaluate the parts. It is still unclear whether the Chinese managed to delete data from the hard drives on board the balloon before the device was destroyed.
Chinese spy balloons are said to have scouted targets on five continents
The new revelations are unlikely to do the already heavily strained relationship between the United States and the People’s Republic any good. Foreign Minister Antony Blinken canceled a visit to Beijing in February, which was actually intended to clear the atmosphere, after the discovery of the balloon. The Chinese government denied any allegations of espionage at the time. Even now, the Foreign Ministry in Beijing continues to state that it was a civilian reconnaissance balloon that somehow went off course, “an unexpected and isolated event,” as a spokeswoman said in Beijing on Tuesday. China rejects American “distortions and exaggerations” in the matter.
The allegations of espionage in the balloon history, which are now becoming more and more concrete, should also lead to new considerations in European capitals. According to US findings, similar Chinese balloons have been flying over five continents in recent years, and it is easy to guess that destinations in Europe were also flown over. It should also be irritating how brazenly the scouting squads on their monitors in the People’s Republic ignored possible concerns about being discovered and calmly let the balloon circle over obviously interesting targets in the USA.