Chinese spy balloon – live: Canada spots high-altitude surveillance balloon after US military
(KFBB)
After the US military, now Canada has confirmed spotting a high-altitude surveillance balloon and said that its movements are being actively tracked today morning.
“Canadians are safe and Canada is taking steps to ensure the security of its airspace, including the monitoring of a potential second incident,” the north American nation’s national defence said in a statement.
The US military and Pentagon officials had confirmed the suspected Chinese high-altitude spy balloon which made its way over the northern United States.
Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said that the US has so far decided against shooting down the surveillance balloon.
The spy balloon, which is the size of three buses, was spotted over Billings, Montana, on Wednesday. It entered the US after flying in over the Aleutian Islands and made its way through Canada.
Washington has “very high confidence” it is a Chinese high-altitude balloon and it was flying over sensitive sites to collect information, a senior defence official said.
Canada monitoring potential second incident of suspected ‘Chinese spy balloon’
Canada’s national defence has confirmed a potential second incident of a suspected Chinese spy balloon today and said that officials are monitoring it.
“A high-altitude surveillance balloon was detected and its movements are being actively tracked by [North American Aerospace Defense Command] NORAD,” the national defence said in a statement.
“Canadians are safe and Canada is taking steps to ensure the security of its airspace, including the monitoring of a potential second incident,” the statement added.
Arpan Rai3 February 2023 05:45
Giant Chinese spy balloon discovered hovering high above northern US
Military ‘acted immediately’ to protect sensitive information.
Graeme Massie3 February 2023 05:05
Canada says monitoring potential second incident of Chinese spy balloon
Canada’s national defence has confirmed another potential second incident of a suspect Chinese spy balloon today and said that the officials are monitoring it.
“A high-altitude surveillance balloon was detected and its movements are being actively tracked by NORAD. Canadians are safe and Canada is taking steps to ensure the security of its airspace,” the national defence said in a statement.
It added: “Canada’s intelligence agencies are working with American partners and continue to take all necessary measures to safeguard Canada’s sensitive information from foreign intelligence threats.”
We remain in frequent contact with our American allies as the situation develops, the Canadian national defence said.
Arpan Rai3 February 2023 04:52
House speaker slams ‘China’s brazen disregard’ over spy balloon
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy slammed the incident of Chinese spy balloon hovering in the US skies.
“China’s brazen disregard for US sovereignty is a destabilizing action that must be addressed, and President Biden cannot be silent. I am requesting a Gang of Eight briefing,” he said in a tweet.
The administration official said congressional leaders were briefed on the matter Thursday afternoon.
Arpan Rai3 February 2023 04:48
F-22s were scrambled after balloon detected
“You did see reports yesterday of a ground stop at Billings Airport and the mobilization of a number of assets, including F-22,” a senior defence official told reporters.
“The context for that was that we put some things on station in the event that a decision was made to bring this down while it was over Montana.
“So we wanted to make sure we were coordinating with civil authorities to empty out the airspace around that potential area. But even with those protective measures taken, it was the judgment of our military commanders that we didn’t drive the risk down low enough. So we didn’t take the shot.”
Graeme Massie3 February 2023 04:23
Montana governor says deeply troubled: ‘From spy balloon to TikTok’
Montana governor Greg Gianforte has said he has been briefed about the situation after the Montana National Guard was notified of an ongoing military operation taking place in Montana airspace, a statement from the Republican governor and spokesperson Brooke Stroyke said.
“From the spy balloon to the Chinese Communist Party spying on Americans through TikTok to CCP-linked companies buying American farmland, I’m deeply troubled by the constant stream of alarming developments for our national security,” Mr Gianforte said in a statement.
Arpan Rai3 February 2023 04:16
Chinese spy balloon does not pose ‘physical threat’ – Pentagon official
Brig Gen Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon press secretary, said in a statement: “[The balloon] currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground.”
He added: “Instances of this kind of balloon activity have been observed previously over the past several years. Once the balloon was detected, the US government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information.”
Arpan Rai3 February 2023 03:46
Why the location covered by Chinese spy balloon is critical for the US
The sites covered by the giant Chinese spy balloon have been zeroed down to Montana.
Montana has long been the location for some of the US’s nuclear arsenal and is home to one of three known major nuclear missile silo fields. The other two are in Wyoming and North Dakota.
The Air Force at Malmstrom maintains 150 intercontinental ballistic missile silos across its 13,800-square-mile complex in central Montana, according to the Pentagon.
Arpan Rai3 February 2023 03:35
Could giant ‘Chinese spy balloon’ be linked to Montana’s nuclear missile sites?
150 warheads located at Malmstrom Air Force Base.
Graeme Massie3 February 2023 03:34
Could giant ‘Chinese spy balloon’ be linked to Montana’s nuclear missile sites?
Read the full story here:
Arpan Rai3 February 2023 03:23
