Chinese spy balloon carried 'multiple antennas' for collecting signals intelligence, State Dept. says
By: Abigail Williams (NBC News)
It's just a weather balloon.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Link copied By Abigail Williams
The Chinese balloon that flew above the U.S. for eight days included "multiple antennas" capable of collecting signals intelligence, a senior State Department official said Thursday, and the balloon maker has proven ties to the Chinese military.
While China condemned the U.S. for destroying what it said was a weather balloon, the State Department official described the balloon as carrying equipment designed to collect communications and threatened action against Beijing.
According to the official, photos taken by high-altitude U-2 planes confirmed the presence of the equipment, including "multiple antennas … likely capable of collecting and geo-locating communications" and "solar panels large enough to produce the requisite power to operate multiple active intelligence collection sensors." The equipment was "inconsistent" with that aboard weather balloons.
China's surveillance reach far more extensive than previously known, Blinken says
Feb. 9, 202301:12
NBC News was first to report the U-2 fly-bys.
The official said that the U.S. is confident that the manufacturer of the balloon "has a direct relationship with China's military and is an approved vendor of the [People's Liberation Army], according to information published in an official procurement portal for the PLA."
The balloons are part of a fleet "developed to conduct surveillance operations' that are often undertaken at the military's direction, said the official.
"The United States will also explore taking action against PRC entities linked to the PLA that supported the balloon's incursion into U.S. airspace," the official said, using the initials for the People's Republic of China. "We will also look at broader efforts to expose and address the PRC's larger surveillance activities that pose a threat to our national security, and to our allies and partners."
On Wednesday, Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said that the U.S. has gathered extensive information about the Chinese surveillance balloons over time and will be able to detect them in the future.
Senators to receive classified briefing on alleged Chinese spy balloon
Feb. 9, 202304:20
Ryder said at a news conference that "in terms of monitoring these and collecting on them, we have been able to put together a body of knowledge that enables us to be able to detect them and act."
U.S. officials said previously that there were had been multiple Chinese balloon flights over American territory during the former Trump administration and another during the Biden administration.
Ryder gave no further details about the routes of those flights or other information, but said the U.S. government later determined some of those sightings were Chinese high-altitude spy balloons.
"What we do know is that in some cases, whereas some of these balloons previously had not been identified, subsequent analysis, subsequent intelligence analysis did enable us to indicate that these were Chinese balloons," Ryder said.
He added, "We've acknowledged publicly that we know that they were looking to surveil strategic sites, to include some of our strategic bases in the continental United States."
Abigail Williams
Abigail Williams is a producer and reporter for NBC News covering the State Department.
Tags
Who is online
235 visitors
No wonder they wanted it back.....................
How many Biden apologists here tried to dismiss this as a weather balloon? Or just tried to jokingly pass it off as nothing? That’s why the former democrat party will forever be known as simply the CCP/DNC
When do we start shooting down each other’s’ satellites?
Right after Brandon sells China the US nuclear codes.
Is that a rhetorical question? Hey I can ask one also ... how many folks on the right went into deep fright with theories that it was carrying a new virus, carrying an EMP or yikes, a nuke?
Ivanka already traded them for a fistfull of copywrites.
They too busy laughing at non funny jokes.
Allow me:
ZERO!
You've worn that out.
Just keeping pace with similar overused nonsense.
That was someone asking a "what if" question.
You don't like questions?
That's not true.
It was a lot on your 'articles'
The truth?
Actually it was one person questioning what a balloon could carry
Ya! Those satire pieces provided by a certain poster are never funny, that's one thing you've gotten correct.
Don't worry about it. [deleted]
You mean the safe spaces. You're right, they are disgusting!
The instance Hallux offered.
I'm sure there are many, many more on your 'articles'
No, that's you.
That's not what I said.
Incorrect, AGAIN.
Well, I've got to call you now:
What instance?
Don't put words in my mouth!
I'm sure there are many more other than the one Hallux noted.
Again, that would be you.
I never do.
Go check and let us know
No need. You know I'm correct.
Did you even LOOK at the one Hallux noted? It wasn't Vic's "article".
I didn't say it was.
Point out where I did.
Implied.........big time.
1.1.6, 1.1.12, 1.1.20, 1.1.24, 1.1.26
you should follow your own comments a bit closer instead of just commenting to comment and disagree for disagreement's sake.
So, I didn't say it.
Point out where I said it. You cannot......big time.
0 any other dumb questions?
I haven't heard about anybody doing that except for China. I wonder how much fake and useless data the Pentagon intentionally fed it while it traversed the country?
[deleted]
This just reaffirms a key principle for a free person to live by:
Better dead than red.
Adlai Stevenson said when we lose faith in government we lose everything.
That has been going on in many nations for at least 20+ years and all sides including yours and mine are responsible. No one gets a pass.
BTW ... the full quote is: 'Public confidence in the integrity of the Government is indispensable to faith in democracy; and when we lose faith in the system, we have lost faith in everything we fight and spend for.'
Don't forget the citation!
I’m not sure I agree with that.
We lost faith in our government here at least twice. Once in the 1700’s and once in the 1800’s. To the betterment of this country in both cases.
Oh, I thought you meant Obama & Biden.
To the betterment of this country in both cases.
Good point!
Ah, yes, the famed military mission creep. Now the military has discovered that the balloon was collecting ELINT and not spying with cameras. Which, BTW, doesn't require being over a target or over the United States. There isn't any way to navigate a spherical balloon so the military claims that China intentionally sent the balloon into US airspace has always been rather obviously bogus. The military was caught with its pants down and now is trying to cover its brass.
My first thought was that the balloon was associated with Helium cryptocurrency which would mean the balloon was a communications relay, like a cell tower. Since China claimed ownership that speculation went out the window. But Chinese ownership doesn't change the obvious purpose of the balloon to act as a communications relay. If China really wanted to collect intel, as the military is claiming, then drones would be a better choice for both visual observation and collecting communications. A drone wouldn't need to cross into US airspace to collect the intel. And the military would still be caught with its pants down and trying to cover its brass.
I can understand Biden not knowing what our government is doing, He's a senile old fool, but if he believes this?
He's the dumbest fucker to ever hold the title of POTUS.