The mysterious Chinese surveillance balloon hovering over the northern U.S. has caught the attention of the government and military. With the potential of sensitive information being collected, the U.S. government has taken immediate action to protect its citizens. In an effort to keep the public informed, we’re here to discuss the details of this extraordinary event.
First discovered hovering over Billings, Montana, this high-altitude balloon has flown from the Aleutian Islands, through Canada, and into the U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has convened a meeting of senior military and defense leaders to discuss the threat profile of this Chinese stratospheric balloon and possible response options. Although the U.S. government has decided against shooting the balloon out of the sky, they are taking all necessary steps to protect against foreign intelligence collection of sensitive information.
The stratosphere begins between 4 and 12 miles above the Earth’s surface and extends around 31 miles. It is in this layer of the atmosphere that the Chinese surveillance balloon is located, making it too high to pose a threat to civil aviation. This type of activity is not unprecedented, with China flying stratospheric balloons like this before, but the difference this time is the balloon is staying over the U.S. longer than usual.
The U.S. is confident the balloon belongs to China and has communicated this through multiple channels both in D.C. and in Beijing. In response, the Pentagon has announced plans to bolster the U.S. military presence near Taiwan, with plans to expand the number of U.S. military personnel in the Philippines.
So, what does this all mean? While the Chinese surveillance balloon is still over the U.S., the government has taken all necessary steps to protect against foreign intelligence collection of sensitive information. With tensions high between the U.S. and China, the Pentagon has announced plans to expand the number of U.S. military personnel in the Philippines.
Stay tuned for more updates on the Chinese surveillance balloon hovering over the northern U.S. and the government’s response.
Title: Keeping an Eye on the Chinese Surveillance Balloon Over the U.S.
Source: www.nbcnews.com