The infamous Chinese Spy Balloon, as dubbed by the United States as it flew over US territory, is now confirmed to be indeed an instrument used to collect information and intelligence on the country. US officials also claimed that the spy balloon centered on the US military sites, picking up as much information as it could before sending it back to Beijing in real time.
It was shot down last February 4, and the US has taken this time to examine its remains and know what China is up to, with the latest discovery uncovering what is behind this flying object.
Chinese Spy Balloon Claimed to Collect Info about the US Military
(Photo : Ryan Seelbach/U.S. Navy via Getty Images)
In an exclusive report by NBC News, US officials have confirmed that the "civilian airship" which was shot down in February was indeed a Chinese spy balloon that entered the US territories. The Biden administration did countermeasures and tried to block the balloon's efforts from the time it detected it entering the airspace.
Two current US officials that remained anonymous claimed that it collected information and gathered intelligence in US military sites as it hovered over them, picking up electronic signals in the present.
According to The Straits Times, the aircraft managed to fly in a "Figure 8" formation at times and was able to make multiple passes over these sites to collect the data it needed.
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China was Indeed Spying Claims US Officials
"The intelligence China collected was mostly from electronic signals, which can be picked up from weapons systems or include communications from base personnel, rather than images," as per the US officials, cited by NBC.
China was indeed collecting information and spying over the US military sites, as confirmed by the two US officials and one former senior administration official.
Chinese Spy Balloon Controversy
There were significant concerns when the public spotted a weird-looking balloon, flying over the Northern US and its territories, which became a national controversy on its flight above the country. It was then shot down by American authorities, as it was believed to be a Chinese spy balloon, which the East Asian country confirmed as its airship.
It was a significant concern for the country, as this balloon was hovering over the country peculiarly, and it appeared out of the blue at the start of the year.
Still, China defended its balloon to be a civilian airship, and the shooting down of it was considered an act of aggression, particularly as Beijing claims it was only blown off-course. China has also threatened to take action against the shooting down of its civilian airship, with the United States said to be overreacting to this event.
After the US collected this "spy balloon," the government and its military decided to study and look into what it is, with over a month since its capture and only now did it have answers for the public. The US officials indeed confirm that this is a Chinese spy balloon, hovering over military sites, and managed to gather intelligence which it already sent to Beijing last February.
Related Article: China Says It Will Take Measures Against US Entities After Balloon Takedown
