US Department of Defense: U.S. Tracking High-Altitude Surveillance Balloon (People's Republic of China)

[Mary Wilson]

U.S. Department of Defense

Feb. 2, 2023 | By C. Todd Lopez , DOD News

An intelligence-gathering balloon, most certainly launched by the People's Republic of China, is currently floating above the United States, the Defense Department announced Thursday evening.

"The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now," Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said during an impromptu briefing Thursday evening. "The U.S. government, to include NORAD, continues to track and monitor it closely."

Ryder said the balloon is well above commercial air traffic and doesn't pose a threat to civil aviation. He also said this isn't the first time such a balloon has been seen over the United States.

After the balloon was detected, Ryder said, the U.S. government "acted immediately" to protect against the collection of sensitive information, though he didn't detail what measures were taken.

A senior defense official who participated in the briefing on background only said the U.S. intelligence community has "very high confidence" the balloon belongs to the People's Republic of China, and that the United States has engaged with Chinese officials "with urgency, through multiple channels" regarding the presence of the balloon.

"We have communicated to them the seriousness with which we take this issue," the official said. "We have made clear we will do whatever is necessary to protect our people and our homeland."

... The official said the risk of using kinetic force to take the balloon out of the sky might put civilian communities at risk, and that the threat the balloon poses now to both safety and U.S. intelligence doesn't justify such an action. ...

https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3287177/us-tracking-high-altitude-surveillance-balloon/

[Mary Wilson]

John Martin
@MartinInMontana
·
4h
Suspected Chinese spy balloon found over northern U.S. “The United States government ... is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now," said a Pentagon spokesperson.

659.8K
John Martin
@MartinInMontana
Photos taken by coworker, Paul Holzwarth.
Translate Tweet


5:02 PM · Feb 2, 2023·
50.7K Views

https://twitter.com/MartinInMontana/status/1621283053661483008?cxt=HHwWgMDT3Z2W-v8sAAAA

[Mary Wilson]

Chinese intelligence-gathering balloon seen over Montana: What we know

Feb 2, 2023 Updated 30 min ago
Meridith Depping KFBB Digital Producer

BILLINGS, Mont. - An object seen floating over the Billings area Wednesday has been confirmed to be an intelligence-gathering balloon, most certainly launched by the People's Republic of China.

On Wednesday, the Billings Logan International Airport was shut down for roughly two hours around the same time many Montanans were noticing an unexplained object in the sky.

Shane Ketterling, the Director of Aviation at Billings Logan, says two flights to the airport were diverted, and one flight was delayed from taking off while the air space was closed. The diverted flights were eventually able to land.

He tells us BIL was directed by the Salt Lake City FAA tower to shut down, and they closed 50 square miles of air space over the Livingston area, impacting Bozeman, Helena and Billings.

On Thursday, the Department of Defense (DoD) shared that the object was an intelligence-gathering balloon, most certainly launched by the People's Republic of China (PRC).

The Pentagon says the balloon flew over the Aleutian Islands and through Canada before being spotted in Montana, which is home to Malmstrom Air Force Base and 150 missiles.

... The balloon has been observed using multiple methods, including manned aircraft, and Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder confirmed the mobilization of a number of assets including F-22s. ...

UPDATE AT 6:27 PM:

Senator Steve Daines wrote to U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin requesting a full security briefing from the administration on the situation.

...The following is the letter from Senator Daines:
Dear Secretary Austin,

I write regarding the concerning event of a high altitude surveillance balloon detected in Montana which has resulted in national security concerns as well as disruptions in civilian air traffic in Billings, Montana.

The fact that this balloon was occupying Montana airspace creates significant concern that Malmstrom Air Force Base (AFB) and the United States’ intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) fields are the target of this intelligence gathering mission. Given the serious nature of the event, I am requesting a full security briefing from the administration on this situation. It is vital to establish the flight path of this balloon, any compromised U.S. national security assets, and all telecom or IT infrastructure on the ground within the U.S. that this spy- balloon was utilizing.

As you know, Montana plays a vital national security role by housing nuclear missile silos at Malmstrom AFB. Given the increased hostility and destabilization around the globe aimed at the United States and our allies, I am alarmed by the fact that this spy balloon was able to infiltrate the airspace of our country and Montana. ...

https://www.nonstoplocal.com/billings/news/flights-at-billings-logan-international-airport-temporarily-grounded-wednesday-as-many-noticed-an-unidentified-object/article_56aa255f-1b1f-5766-b37d-e410e580fc09.html

[Mary Wilson]

TRANSCRIPT

Senior Defense Official Holds a Background Briefing on High-Altitude Surveillance Balloon
Feb. 2, 2023

https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3287204/senior-defense-official-holds-a-background-briefing-on-high-altitude-surveillan/

[Mary Wilson]

TRANSCRIPT
Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder Holds an On-Camera Press Briefing

Feb. 3, 2023

Brigadier General Pat Ryder, Pentagon Press Secretary

... we do know that the balloon has violated U.S. airspace and international law, which is unacceptable.

...And in terms of specific locations, I'm not going to be able to go into specific locations, again, other than to say it's moving eastward at this time.

... the size of the payload on this, looking at the potential for debris and the impact on civilians on the ground or property damage

... The Canadian Defense Ministry yesterday said they were tracking a second potential spy balloon. Are you tracking a second potential incident?
... So in regards to statements by Canada, I'd refer you back to them on that.

... In terms of the size, I'm not able to get into the specifics other than to say that it is big enough that, again, in reviewing our approach we do recognize that any potential debris field would be significant and potentially cause civilian injuries or deaths or significant property damage.

... I'm not going to get into intelligence. Clearly, it's a balloon that has a payload underneath it. It — you know, I'll just leave it at that. It —

... It's got a large payload underneath the surveillance component, underneath the actual balloon piece of it. So just leave it at that.

... Q: Could you clarify "payload"? That sounds like munitions or something that would pose a threat to US citizens —

GEN. RYDER: No, again, there — there is a — it is a surveillance balloon, right? So there is a — there is a surveillance capability underneath this large balloon, right? So look at a blimp. A blimp has a basket, right? So there's a basket underneath it, in layman's terms. So again, large enough to be concerning if there were a debris field, so —

https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3288141/pentagon-press-secretary-brig-gen-pat-ryder-holds-an-on-camera-press-briefing/

[Mary Wilson]

Pentagon confirms second Chinese ‘surveillance balloon’ seen over Latin America

02/03/23 9:42 PM ET
BY JARED GANS

A second Chinese “surveillance balloon” was spotted flying over Latin America after another one traveling across the continental U.S. was detected earlier in the day, officials confirmed Friday evening.

“We are seeing reports of a balloon transiting Latin America. We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon,” Brig. Gen Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, said. “We have no further information to provide at this time.”

... Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed a scheduled trip to China after the balloon was detected.

...Two senior defense officials told NBC News that the U.S. is using counterintelligence measures to block the balloon’s view and moving objects out of its path to limit its capabilities.

https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/3843567-pentagon-confirms-second-chinese-surveillance-balloon-seen-over-latin-america/

[Mary Wilson]

U.S. fighter jet shoots down suspected Chinese spy balloon

By Randall Hill, Phil Stewart and Jeff Mason

SURFSIDE BEACH, S.C., Feb 4 (Reuters) - A U.S. military fighter jet shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday, a week after it first entered U.S. airspace and triggered a dramatic -- and public -- spying saga that worsened Sino-U.S. relations.

President Joe Biden said he had issued an order on Wednesday to take down the balloon, but the Pentagon had recommended waiting until it could be done over open water to safeguard civilians from debris crashing to Earth from thousands of feet (meters) above commercial air traffic.

Multiple fighter and refueling aircraft were involved in the mission, but only one -- an F-22 fighter jet from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia -- took the shot at 2:39 p.m. (1939 GMT), using a single AIM-9X supersonic, heat-seeking, air-to-air missile, a senior U.S. military official said.

... The balloon was shot down about six nautical miles off the U.S. coast of the Atlantic Ocean, over relatively shallow water, potentially aiding efforts to recover elements...

... One U.S. military official said the debris field was spread out over seven miles (11 km) of ocean, and multiple U.S. military vessels were on site.

The downing of the balloon came shortly after the U.S. government ordered a halt to flights in and out of three airports in South Carolina -- Wilmington, Myrtle Beach and Charleston ...

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-says-us-is-going-take-care-of-chinese-balloon-2023-02-04/

[Mary Wilson]

February 10, 2023
by James Brooks, Alaska Beacon

An F-22 fighter jet from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson shot down an unidentified object flying above Alaska’s North Slope on Friday, officials at the White House said.

The shootdown, at 9:45 a.m. Alaska time, took place less than a week after an Air Force fighter jet shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina. ...

John Kirby, the National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the White House, said in a news conference that the object on Friday was “much, much smaller” than the Chinese surveillance balloon and was “about the size of a small car.” ... It was traveling at an elevation of about 40,000 feet and could have posed a threat to commercial aviation

... Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, a Defense Department spokesperson, said the object’s origin isn’t yet known.

https://www.ktoo.org/2023/02/10/after-china-balloon-scare-air-force-shoots-down-object-flying-over-alaskas-north-slope/?utm_content=buffer54dfe&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

[Mary Wilson]

CANADA
‘Far too early’ to say whether object shot down over Yukon came from China: minister

Posted February 11, 2023 3:36 pm
By Mercedes Stephenson, Alex Boutilier & Irelyne Lavery

Canada’s Defence Minister Anita Anand says “it’s far too early” to say whether an “unidentified object” shot down over Yukon on Saturday came from China.

Anand spoke after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Saturday afternoon he had ordered the object shot down after it violated Canadian airspace. That followed confirmation from the North American Aerospace Defense Command of an exclusive Global News report published at 3:36 PM Eastern that officials with the continental defence alliance were monitoring an object that could be another potential spy balloon.

... “Recovery operations are now underway.”

https://globalnews.ca/news/9480589/surveillance-balloon-canadian-forces-response/?utm_source=%40globalnews&utm_medium=Twitter

[Mary Wilson]

Montana airspace reopened by U.S. FAA after radar anomaly prompts brief shutdown

Posted February 11, 2023 9:17 pm
Updated February 11, 2023 10:05 pm

By David Shepardson Reuters

... The U.S. military said late on Saturday a radar anomaly prompted the temporary closure of airspace to civilian airplanes in Montana but no threatening object was detected.

The North American Aerospace Defense Command(NORAD) sent fighter aircraft to investigate but the aircraft “did not identify any object to correlate to the radar hits. NORAD will continue to monitor the situation.”

... The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) earlier on Saturday closed and then reopened airspace in Montana after temporarily barring flights in an area about 50 by 50 nautical miles (93 by 93 km) around Havre, Montana, near the Canadian border.

https://globalnews.ca/news/9481087/montana-airspace-faa-defence-activites/?utm_source=%40globalnews&utm_medium=Twitter

[Emily]

So it is still up there. Skeet?

He said the issue was because of “an object that could interfere with commercial air traffic — the DOD will resume efforts to observe and ground the object in the morning.”

[Mary Wilson]

FAA temporarily closes airspace over Lake Michigan

35 min ago
Kyle Jones

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Federal Aviation Administration and NORAD temporarily closed airspace over parts of northern Lake Michigan Sunday afternoon.

In a statement, NORAD said the space was closed "to ensure the safety of air traffic in the area during NORAD operations." The space was closed between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.


North American Aerospace Defense Command

@NORADCommand

12:44 PM · Feb 12, 2023·
349.5K
Views

https://www.channel3000.com/news/faa-temporarily-closes-airspace-over-lake-michigan/article_31f74c90-ab0f-11ed-a957-2b58c7123e17.html

[Mary Wilson]

BREAKING NEWS

Feb. 12, 2023, 3:04 PM CST
By Julie Tsirkin, Courtney Kube and Summer Concepcion

NATIONAL SECURITY
U.S. military has shot down an unidentified object over Lake Huron

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military shot down an unidentified object over Lake Huron Sunday, a congressional source briefed on the matter and two U.S. officials told NBC News — the fourth in less than two weeks to be downed over North American airspace.

... The officials all said there are no indications of any collateral damage and that the object went down in the lake and officials expect to recover it.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/us-military-shot-unidentified-object-lake-huron-rcna70289

[Mary Wilson]

U.S. shoots down unidentified object over Lake Huron

Published 4 mins ago on February 12, 2023
ByBNO News
Lake Huron (Credit: Google)

The U.S. Air Force has shot down an unidentified flying object over Lake Huron between Michigan and Ontario, federal officials say. It’s the fourth object to be downed in and near the U.S. in recent weeks.

snip

“The US military has decommissioned another ‘object’ over Lake Huron,” U.S. Representative Jack Bergman said. “I appreciate the decisive action by our fighter pilots.”

snip

... A recovery operation has been launched to recover the debris.

https://bnonews.com/index.php/2023/0...er-lake-huron/

[sharon sanders]

So some aliens with sophisticated equipment and technology that can take them to another planet are flying a balloon once they arrive? Right.....

Is this some giant distraction ploy to divert the population's attention from something else that is going on? There is nothing new about China spying on the US.

Is this a way to get the population to support a war with China?




US Hasn’t Ruled Out Alien Origins for Latest Objects Shot Down

February 12, 2023 at 8:05 PM EST

Listen to this article


The US general in charge of NORAD said he hasn’t ruled out any possibilities on the source of three objects shot from the skies over the US and Canada — including that they might be of extraterrestrial origins.

General Glen VanHerck, commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, made the comment when asked Sunday if the US had excluded the possibility that the objects shot down over Alaska, Canada and Michigan were “aliens or extraterrestrials.”

“I’ll let the intel community and the counterintelligence community figure that out,” VanHerck told a briefing. “I haven’t ruled out anything at this point.”

more.....

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...ects-shot-down