A Chinese spy balloon was able to transmit information back to Beijing in real-time, a source familiar with the matter revealed. The US government still doesn't know for certain whether Beijing could wipe its data as it received it, sparking questions about whether there is intelligence that the US hasn't discovered yet.
The balloon crossed into US airspace over Alaska in late January and passed through Canada before hovering above Montana for several days. This led the US to believe it was trying to surveil sensitive military sites, such as Malmstrom Air Force Base. The balloon was eventually shot down off the East Coast on February 4, causing tensions between Washington and Beijing to escalate.
According to a senior State Department official, the balloon was capable of conducting signals intelligence collection operations. However, US officials were not overly concerned about the information it gathered, as it's not much more sophisticated than what Chinese satellites can collect in orbit over similar locations.
A US intelligence official stated that while analysis of the High Altitude Balloon's wreckage is ongoing, its flight over the US does not appear to have provided critical new insights to China.
The US has been tracking a fleet of Chinese balloons operating across the globe, controlled by the Chinese military, since last year. The balloons are equipped with sophisticated software and algorithms that allow them to transmit information in real-time.
The FBI is still examining the balloon, but officials have gained some insight into how it worked, including its power source and design. China claims the balloon was a weather balloon thrown off course, while the US assesses whether Beijing deliberately maneuvered it into the continental US.
Gen. Glen VanHerck, commander of US Northern Command and NORAD, said the US did not assess that the balloon presented a significant collection hazard beyond what already exists in actionable technical means from China.
China's surveillance program includes several balloons operated out of the small province of Hainan. The US does not know the size of the fleet but sources say it has conducted at least two dozen missions over five continents in recent years, with roughly half a dozen within US airspace.
A total of six flights have been within US airspace, although not necessarily over US territory, according to one official familiar with the intelligence.
The balloon crossed into US airspace over Alaska in late January and passed through Canada before hovering above Montana for several days. This led the US to believe it was trying to surveil sensitive military sites, such as Malmstrom Air Force Base. The balloon was eventually shot down off the East Coast on February 4, causing tensions between Washington and Beijing to escalate.
According to a senior State Department official, the balloon was capable of conducting signals intelligence collection operations. However, US officials were not overly concerned about the information it gathered, as it's not much more sophisticated than what Chinese satellites can collect in orbit over similar locations.
A US intelligence official stated that while analysis of the High Altitude Balloon's wreckage is ongoing, its flight over the US does not appear to have provided critical new insights to China.
The US has been tracking a fleet of Chinese balloons operating across the globe, controlled by the Chinese military, since last year. The balloons are equipped with sophisticated software and algorithms that allow them to transmit information in real-time.
The FBI is still examining the balloon, but officials have gained some insight into how it worked, including its power source and design. China claims the balloon was a weather balloon thrown off course, while the US assesses whether Beijing deliberately maneuvered it into the continental US.
Gen. Glen VanHerck, commander of US Northern Command and NORAD, said the US did not assess that the balloon presented a significant collection hazard beyond what already exists in actionable technical means from China.
China's surveillance program includes several balloons operated out of the small province of Hainan. The US does not know the size of the fleet but sources say it has conducted at least two dozen missions over five continents in recent years, with roughly half a dozen within US airspace.
A total of six flights have been within US airspace, although not necessarily over US territory, according to one official familiar with the intelligence.
. I'm not surprised they're using balloons for surveillance, it's like they studied all the spy movies and thought "you know what would be a good idea?" But seriously though, the fact that they can transmit info back to Beijing in real-time is just wild. And yeah, the US doesn't even know if China can delete the data before it's received... that's some serious national security concerns right there 
. I'm not saying we should be paranoid or anything (although, let's be real, why wouldn't you be?) but this just shows how far ahead China is in terms of tech and espionage. We need to step up our game if we want to stay on top 
.
it's like they just walked right into our airspace and started spying on us for real! i mean what if china had hacked into our military sites or something? 
we gotta know what we're up against here and how much of a threat these balloons pose. and omg six flights in us airspace already?! that's just insane 
we need to know more about the technology behind these things so we can prepare ourselves. and china's excuse about it being a weather balloon is just ridiculous 
like who throws a weather balloon off course into our airspace? i'm seriously keeping an eye on this situation, gotta stay informed 
so like the us knows china's got balloons orbiting around the world and collecting info 
but the big question is what they're really getting outta it? 
from what i've gathered (skimmed through some forums lol) chinese satelites can collect similar info for like pennies on the dollar, so why bother launching these fancy balloons that are basically just a few million bucks in cost? 
meanwhile our eyes should be on hainan island where these balloons seem to be coming from, that'd be the sweet spot for intercepting their signals 
. The fact that Beijing claims this was a weather balloon thrown off course doesn't hold water for me - there's always more to it than meets the eye.
The US is always saying we need to stay one step ahead of the enemy, but when it comes to something like this, I'm not buying it 
.
. What are we missing here? Are there more secrets than just signals intel? 
and I'm wondering, how many other secrets are hidden in that wreckage? Is the US really saying there's no new intel gained from the balloon? That doesn't add up to me 
or what if China is just being super chill & sending up balloons as a distraction while they're actually gathering something super important?! 
. I mean, China's got some serious tech 
. The fact that they could transmit info back to Beijing in real-time? Mind blown 
.
. I mean, what else are these balloons capable of collecting? 
Plus, why did they even send the balloon into US airspace in the first place? Wasn't that like, asking for trouble or something? 
to Beijing... how convenient for them 
after it's transmitted 
. And China says it was just a weather balloon 
, but I'm not buying it 
. Anyway, it seems the US is still in the dark about how much info those balloons can collect 
.
at least the balloon was shot down, but I guess that's just gonna lead to more tensions between us and China... and honestly, it feels like we're just playing whack-a-mole with their spy games 
And now they're saying there might be more than 20 balloons out there collecting info around the world... that's just wild 
. I mean, I know China claims it was just a weather balloon thrown off course, but come on 
I mean, what's new, right? 
China just sends a spy balloon floating around the world and we're all like "Oh no, they're watching us!" 
. But let's be real, if China can't even send a balloon without us knowing something's up, how do we know they're not just making it look that way? 
I think what worries me most is that we don't know all the facts yet... there could be more intel out there that we haven't discovered. And with China saying it was just a weather balloon thrown off course, it's hard to know what's really going on. 
. I get why the US is concerned, but at the same time, it's not like this is some game-changing info or anything... it's just, like, more of the same stuff China can already get from their satellites 
. I mean, it's just more of the same stuff we already know China can do, right? 
. I wonder if we'll ever see any concrete consequences or repercussions from Beijing