US Spying Balloon Transmitted Intelligence Back to Beijing in Real-Time
A Chinese spy balloon that traversed the US earlier this year was capable of capturing imagery and collecting signals intelligence from US military sites, according to a source familiar with the matter. The balloon was able to transmit information back to Beijing in real-time, raising questions about whether the US government is aware of any new intelligence gathered by the device.
The balloon first crossed into US airspace over Alaska in late January before passing through Canada and down into Montana, where it hovered for several days. The US believed it was trying to surveil sensitive military sites, such as Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. However, the exact extent of its capabilities is still unclear, with some officials suggesting that it may not have presented a significant collection hazard beyond existing technical means from China.
The surveillance program, which includes similar balloons, is run out of the Chinese province of Hainan and has conducted at least two dozen missions over five continents in recent years. Roughly half a dozen of these flights have been within US airspace, although not necessarily over US territory.
China maintained that the balloon was actually just a weather balloon thrown off course, but officials believe it did maintain some ability to maneuver. Once over Montana, China appeared to take advantage of its position to loiter over sensitive sites and try to collect intelligence.
The incident has further escalated tensions between Washington and Beijing, including the postponement of a diplomatic visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to China. The FBI is still examining the balloon, but officials have been able to glean additional information about how it worked, including its algorithms and power source.
It remains to be seen whether the Chinese government could wipe the balloon's data as it received it, which raises questions about what new intelligence was gathered by the device that the US may not be aware of.
A Chinese spy balloon that traversed the US earlier this year was capable of capturing imagery and collecting signals intelligence from US military sites, according to a source familiar with the matter. The balloon was able to transmit information back to Beijing in real-time, raising questions about whether the US government is aware of any new intelligence gathered by the device.
The balloon first crossed into US airspace over Alaska in late January before passing through Canada and down into Montana, where it hovered for several days. The US believed it was trying to surveil sensitive military sites, such as Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. However, the exact extent of its capabilities is still unclear, with some officials suggesting that it may not have presented a significant collection hazard beyond existing technical means from China.
The surveillance program, which includes similar balloons, is run out of the Chinese province of Hainan and has conducted at least two dozen missions over five continents in recent years. Roughly half a dozen of these flights have been within US airspace, although not necessarily over US territory.
China maintained that the balloon was actually just a weather balloon thrown off course, but officials believe it did maintain some ability to maneuver. Once over Montana, China appeared to take advantage of its position to loiter over sensitive sites and try to collect intelligence.
The incident has further escalated tensions between Washington and Beijing, including the postponement of a diplomatic visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to China. The FBI is still examining the balloon, but officials have been able to glean additional information about how it worked, including its algorithms and power source.
It remains to be seen whether the Chinese government could wipe the balloon's data as it received it, which raises questions about what new intelligence was gathered by the device that the US may not be aware of.
I'm still trying to wrap my head around this whole thing... so China has these spy balloons just floating around, collecting info and sending it back to Beijing in real-time? 
That's some serious sci-fi stuff right there! But at the same time, I'm not sure how much of an issue it really is - I mean, we have our own spy agencies and satellites, so what's the big deal?
like they're telling us they're not even trying to hide this. And now the US is all upset about it? I feel like we're just playing a game of " spy balloon tag" over here... 
I can imagine how unsettling this must be for the people living in Montana, having a spy balloon hovering above their bases for days... like they're under constant surveillance 
The thought of it collecting signals intel and transmitting it back to Beijing in real-time is just mind-blowing 
. Like, how do we know they're just weather balloons and not actual surveillance devices? 
We can't just take their word for it, right? 
The fact that they could transmit data back to Beijing in real-time is super concerning 
. This whole thing is getting really intense 
...
and now we're talking about the FBI not knowing what kinda info was gathered by these things it's so messed up 
. And now we're questioning if they wiped the data and what new intel they got from us 
? like, the thought alone gives me chills, no matter how many times we hear about these things... it just puts everything into perspective, you know? and the fact that they could transmit info back to Beijing in real-time is wild 
. let's hope we can learn from this and do some better prep work next time 
i mean what's the point of having a spy program if not to gather intel? and now we have to wonder if our government knows what other secrets are being leaked from these balloons 
. Now we're left wondering what kind of juice the Chinese government has on them 
. It's like, can they even wipe the data clean? 
.
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. That's just terrifying. I hope our government is taking this seriously and figuring out how to stay one step ahead of these kinds of threats 
.
. It feels like we're living in a spy novel or something 
. Can't we just have some peace and security for once? 
I mean, we all knew China was being sneaky, but like, how far did they go?! 
And what if they wiped the data now?! 
Can we trust anything they say?! 
but seriously, if its capable of transmitting info in real-time then that's super suspicious 
and what about all the other missions it's done over 5 continents? is china just trying to see how much info they can gather without getting caught??
... I think we should know what exactly happened with that spy balloon 
I mean, come on, can't they just admit to spying on us already?! 
This is not cool, China! 
The fact that it was transmitting intel back to Beijing in real-time is just wild 
and figure out what kind of intel was actually gathered 
. This whole thing is giving me major anxiety 
. The US is all like "oh no, our secrets were compromised" and China is over here like "nah, it was just a weather balloon, bro 
!
meanwhile China is all like "it's just a weather balloon" 
It's def makin' me think twice about flyin' those commercial drones over the US 
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