Chinese ‘spy’ balloon saga: what was it trying to collect from the US?

While many questions remain unanswered, the US insists that the balloon was part of a wider People’s Liberation Army intelligence-gathering effort that spanned more than 40 countries, including India.

When was the balloon first seen? Which route did you take?

The balloon was first detected within US airspace on 28 January as it was hovering over Alaska, north of the Aleutian Islands. The North American Aerospace Defense Command – a military unit that is also responsible for tracking Santa’s visit on Christmas – sent the balloon to Canadian airspace over the next two days before re-entering US skies over northern Idaho on the last day of January. tracked in

As President Biden and other US officials looked into ways to disarm the balloon, it made its way to Montana – home to Malmstrom Air Force Base – and then across the country to South Carolina.

While the US government declined to say what areas the balloon surveyed, it appeared to travel near sensitive US bases including Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana – which oversees 150 intercontinental ballistic missile silos, and Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska is home to America. Strategic Command which is in charge of the nuclear forces. It was also seen drifting over Whitman Air Force Base in Missouri, which operates the Air Force’s B-2 bomber.

It was eventually shot down over the Atlantic Ocean off Surfside Beach in South Carolina on 4 February.

What do we know about the balloon itself?

The airship originated in China and is described as a massive structure – the size of three buses – carrying a ‘large’ payload. Beijing insists it was simply an unmanned civilian weather balloon while Washington claims it was equipped with spy equipment.

NORAD chief general Glenn VanHerk described the balloon as 200 feet high, carrying a surveillance payload the size of a regional passenger jet, weighing more than a few thousand pounds. Citizens who saw the balloon from the ground described it as a huge white sphere as it floated about 60,000 feet above the ground.

A reuters The report cites US-based Caymont – a firm that manufactures and distributes weather balloons globally – as saying that the size, payload and flight time exceed the capabilities of ordinary weather balloons made from latex .

Why did America shoot down the balloon?

US officials believed that the balloons were being used to monitor strategic sites. It had flown over several sensitive military areas and managed to stay in the air over specific areas, according to an official.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the Pentagon acted to limit what the balloon could learn about US nuclear capabilities.

“Certainly all of our strategic assets were locked down and movement was limited and communication was limited so that we didn’t unnecessarily expose any capability,” he said in an interview with CBS News.

What has America said about the balloon?

America says that the Chinese balloon was sent to spy on the country. The House of Representatives unanimously passed a resolution on Thursday condemning China’s “brazen violations” of US sovereignty and its efforts to “deceive the international community through false claims about its intelligence collection operations”.

Senior officials of the Biden administration said on Thursday that at least 40 countries have been similarly affected. The US has stepped up diplomatic efforts to expose China’s balloon surveillance program – particularly with Quad partners – Australia, India and Japan.

What did China say about the balloon?

China’s foreign ministry said the balloon was mainly used for meteorological purposes and had limited self-driving capability. Affected by the weather, it had ‘unexpectedly’ moved into US airspace. The ministry has also said that it does not have any information to share as to which company or entity owns the balloon.

China’s Defense Ministry also turned down a call from the US Secretary of Defense after the balloon was shot down. Spokesman Tan Kefei said, “Noting that this irresponsible and seriously mistaken approach by the US did not create a proper environment for dialogue and exchanges between the two militaries, China strongly condemned the phone call between the two defense ministers.” Offer not accepted.”

Calling it “an isolated, unexpected incident”, China accused the US of exaggerating the dispute and criticized the recent resolution.

What did America do with the balloon?

Earlier this week the US Coast Guard put in place a temporary safety zone in the waters off Surfside Beach. A rescue operation is underway to secure debris from the balloon, with analysis continuing at an FBI laboratory in Virginia.

Some of the balloon’s debris remained intact on the ocean floor and divers recovered equipment of potentially high value over the past day and a half. Recovery efforts were temporarily suspended on Thursday due to high seas.

So far only a few pieces have come up for examination – including a small amount of electronics. An official said that some of the recovered equipment parts had inscriptions or markings in English.

What is the balloon doing? What data was it trying to collect?

Authorities determined that the balloon was operating with electronic surveillance technology capable of monitoring American communications. The balloon had “several antennas that included an array capable of gathering and geo-locating communications”.

“High-resolution imagery from the U-2 flybys revealed that the high-altitude balloon was capable of conducting signals intelligence collection operations,” CNN quoted an official as saying.

It was reportedly equipped with solar panels large enough to produce the power needed to operate the many active intelligence collection sensors.

(with inputs from agencies)