Pentagon Tracking Suspected Chinese Spy Balloon Flying Over ‘Sensitive’ Sites On American Soil
Defense And Security,China,Spying,Chinese Spy Balloons
The Department of Defense is tracking a suspected high-altitude Chinese surveillance balloon that appears to be collecting data on sensitive U.S. sites, multiple defense officials said Thursday.
President Joe Biden was briefed regarding the surveillance balloon and requested military options, but Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin after convening a meeting of senior leadership Wednesday recommended against shooting it down to protect the safety of people on the ground, a senior defense official told reporters. The balloon has a “limited value” to China for intelligence collection beyond the capabilities Beijing currently exercises, but nevertheless presents concerns, officials said.
“Instances of this kind of balloon activity have been observed previously over the past several years. Once the balloon was detected the U.S. government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information,” Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said.
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