The United States is on high alert as a mysterious Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon has been spotted hovering above the continental United States. This isn’t the first time such an incident has occurred, and it’s sure to be a cause for concern for many Americans.
The Pentagon has been tracking the balloon for several days, and has determined that it belongs to the People’s Republic of China. While the balloon is currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground, it does pass over a number of sensitive sites.
The US believes that Chinese spy satellites in low Earth orbit are capable of offering similar or better intelligence, limiting the value of whatever Beijing can glean from the high-altitude balloon.
The US government has engaged with the Chinese government both through the Chinese embassy in Washington and the US diplomatic mission in China. President Joe Biden has been briefed on the balloon’s movements and requested military options on how to deal with it.
It was the “strong recommendation” of senior military leaders, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, not to take kinetic action due to the risk to safety and security of people on the ground from the possible debris field.
Montana is home to fields of underground Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile silos, one potential target for Chinese espionage. The US has communicated to Chinese officials the seriousness with which they take this issue, and have made clear they will do whatever is necessary to protect their people and their homeland.
The US is now faced with a major challenge as they attempt to protect their citizens from a mysterious Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon. How will the US handle the situation and protect their citizens from potential espionage?
Stay tuned for more updates as the US continues to track the mysterious Chinese surveillance balloon.
Source: www.cnn.com