(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) The Chinese spy balloon that was discovered over American airspace in February seems to have succeeded in gathering sensitive United States military intelligence.
Two current upper-level officials confirmed that the balloon did indeed gather information, and could have gathered more if it had not been shot down, the Daily Mail reported.
Specifically, the balloon passed over two U.S. Air Force bases and nuclear missile sites, including the Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana.
According to those officials, the balloon was able to transmit information in real time, via electronic signal, giving the Chinese information regarding “weapons systems or communications between personnel on the base. ”
The effectiveness of a balloon, as noted by Air Force Lt. Gen. Charlie Moore, is that, unlike satellites or more sophisticated technology, it can hover over certain areas with greater precision and steadiness.
“If you have a balloon that’s moving extremely slowly you have persistence that you can’t get from a satellite,” he said.
The National Security Council said that the balloon had “limited additive value” for intelligence collection by the Chinese government “over and above what [China] is likely able to collect through things like satellites in low earth orbit,” according to an NBC News report.
The balloon was also found to have a self-destruct mechanism that could have been triggered from China.
China had previously claimed that the balloon was a simple unmanned weather surveillance aircraft that had veered off course.
Its claim had been substantiated by President Joe Biden, who said that it was possible that China’s President Xi did not know about the existence of the spy balloon.
“There is a possibility of that,” Biden claimed, downplaying the seriousness of the situation.
“It’s not a major breach,” he said. “Look, the total amount of intelligence gathering that’s going on by every country around the world is overwhelming,” despite being a “violation of international law.”
