The United States is monitoring the Chinese spy balloon that has been floating over Montana for the past several days.
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The United States is monitoring a Chinese spy balloon that has been hovering over Montana for the past few days: Biden wanted to shoot it down with F22, but was advised against it by the Pentagon due to falling debris.
- A Chinese surveillance balloon has been hovering over the northern US for the past few days, the Pentagon confirmed Thursday.
- Defense officials discussed shooting it out of the sky Wednesday while it was over Billings, Montana, but decided to monitor it closely.
- F-22 Raptors were dispatched from Nellis Air Force Base in southern Nevada, but did not engage the object.
The balloon is seen in the skies of Montana
A Chinese surveillance balloon has been hovering over the northern United States for the past few days, top defense officials confirmed Thursday, and Joe Biden was briefed Wednesday on his options, including shooting it out of the sky.
Biden suggested the high-altitude balloon should be shot down, after civilians on a commercial airliner spotted it and reported it, US officials said. The Wall Street Journal. The Pentagon opposed the move, fearing civilian casualties.
“The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States at this time,” said Pentagon spokesman Brig. General Pat Ryder told NBC News.
‘We continue to track and monitor closely.’
The F-22 Raptors were dispatched from Nellis Air Force Base in southern Nevada, but they are not believed to have attacked the balloon.
sources said nbc news that there were concerns about possible debris from shooting the balloon out of the sky.
It was flying over Billings, Montana on Wednesday, NBC reported.
China is believed to be flying a surveillance balloon over the United States, and Joe Biden (left) wanted to shoot it down. In the photo on the right is President Xi Jinping.
The Pentagon said that once it was detected, they acted to prevent the theft of sensitive information.
“Once the balloon was detected, the US government took immediate action to protect against the collection of sensitive information,” they said, without specifying what actions they took.
The high-altitude balloon was seen over Billings, Montana, on Wednesday after having flown over the Aleutian Islands, across Canada and into Montana.
The Pentagon said the balloon is still over the US, but did not say where.
In a sign of the seriousness with which the incursion was being taken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin gathered his military chiefs in an emergency meeting on Wednesday to discuss the balloon. He was traveling through the Philippines at the time.
Present were Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; General Van Herck, commander of NORTHCOM/NORAD, and other combatant commanders, NBC reported.
They discussed dropping it from the sky, but decided it was too risky to recommend.
Pentagon leaders presented the options to President Joe Biden on Wednesday, NBC said.
“We currently assess that this balloon has limited added value from an intelligence gathering perspective beyond what the PRC can do by other means,” the senior defense official said.
“However, we are taking all necessary measures to protect against the collection of sensitive information by foreign intelligence.”
The official said the balloon does not pose a threat to civil aviation due to its altitude.