Pentagon

The Department of Defense acknowledged a second Chinese surveillance craft transiting airspace somewhere over Latin America late Friday. The second balloon’s flight path does not appear to include the United States, CNN first reported , citing officials. Earlier on Friday, DOD confirmed that the first surveillance balloon was moving eastward and that the U.S. government continued to monitor its travel, while the White House’s national security team provides regular updates to President Joe Biden. “We are seeing reports of a balloon transiting Latin America. We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon,” press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder confirmed to the Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement. Meanwhile, a video circulating on social media appeared to show an explosion taking place above Billings airbase in Montana, where aircraft were scrambled Wednesday in preparation to take action against the balloon. A defense official told Fox News the … [Read more...] about Pentagon Confirms Reports Of Second Chinese Spy Balloon

Republican Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke ripped President Joe Biden’s administration for not immediately shooting down the Chinese balloon that is hovering over the state he represents in a Friday interview with the Daily Caller. Zinke , a former NAVY Seal, weighed in on the news that broke Thursday evening that the Department of Defense is tracking a Chinese surveillance balloon that appears to be collecting data on sensitive sites inside the United States. China on Friday confirmed that the balloon is theirs, as a spokesperson claimed it is a civilian research airship. The Montana Republican had a very simple solution to getting rid of the Chinese balloon, telling the Caller: “We should have shot it down. It’s embarrassing. Because the US faces clear and present danger with the Chinese and we can’t shoot down a balloon over rural Montana?” Zinke also mentioned the area in which the balloon was over, saying Roosevelt County is not a populated area at all, so there is no reason … [Read more...] about EXCLUSIVE: ‘Shoot It Down’ — Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke Rips Biden Admin For Not Taking Out Chinese Balloon Over His State

Pentagon officials told several news outlets that a Chinese spy balloon hovering over Montana this week had a flight path that took it over several sensitive U.S. military sites—but pushed back on the idea that the device was of much value to the country in terms of additional intelligence it could gather. “We are taking all necessary steps to protect against foreign intelligence collection of sensitive information,” a defense official told NBC News . “It does not create significant value added over and above what the PRC is likely able to collect through things like satellites in low Earth orbit,” another senior official told CNN . The balloon snuck into the U.S. through Canada and was spotted near Billings Thursday. It remains unclear what sensitive sites the balloon may have been targeting—though the state is home to Malmstrom Air Force Base, which houses at least 150 nuclear missile silos. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who was in the Philippines when news of … [Read more...] about Chinese Spy Balloon Flew Over Sensitive U.S. Military Sites, Officials Say

close Video Pentagon says Chinese surveillance balloon over US does not pose direct threat The Pentagon recommends the president not to shoot down the balloon as Secretary of State Antony Blinken postpones his first trip to Beijing since COVID, reports Fox News’ Greg Palkot. EXCLUSIVE: House China Select Committee Chairman Mike Gallagher told Fox News Digital that the Chinese spy balloon flying over the continental United States is "not just an isolated incident," but an intentional violation and threat to American sovereignty. "The important thing that the American people need to understand, and what we are going to try to expose in a bipartisan fashion on this committee, is that the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is not just a distant threat in East Asia, or a threat to Taiwan," Gallagher told Fox News Digital on Friday. CHINA CONFIRMS BALLOON IS THEIRS, AS SPOKESPERSON CLAIMS IT IS CIVILLIAN RESEARCH AIRSHIP … [Read more...] about China spy balloon is a ‘threat’ to American sovereignty and ‘not just an isolated incident,’ Gallagher says

close Video Pentagon: A high altitude Chinese surveillance balloon has penetrated US airspace Retired Lt. Col. Daniel Davis breaks down why the Pentagon would recommend to President Biden against shooting down a Chinese spy balloon hovering over northern U.S. states on 'Jesse Watters Primetime.' The U.S. has detected a Chinese balloon craft currently flying over the United States, potentially sparking a major diplomatic incident ahead of a now-canceled visit by Secretary of State Anyony Blinken to Beijing. Here is what we know so far: When was it detected? The Pentagon announced on Thursday that it had detected the craft flying over the continental U.S. A State Department official said Friday that once it was detected the government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information. " The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental … [Read more...] about Chinese spy balloon enters US airspace: What we know

A suspected Chinese spy balloon over the United States fueled South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s (R) call to pass legislation that would ban the Chinese Communist Party from buying up land in South Dakota. “Now more than ever, states need to step up and defend our people from the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party. This is exactly why we need to pass SB 185 and SB 189,” she said on Twitter Friday morning: Now more than ever, states need to step up and defend our people from the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party. This is exactly why we need to pass SB 185 and SB 189. pic.twitter.com/XppeQzEEVj — Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) February 3, 2023 On Thursday, Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement that the United States has “detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now.” Ryder added: The U.S. government, to include NORAD, continues to track and monitor it … [Read more...] about Suspected Spy Balloon Fuels Kristi Noem’s Push to Block CCP Land Purchases