US Military Tracks Suspected Chinese Surveillance Balloon Flying Over Northern US

The United States military has been tracking a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that has been hovering over the northern U.S. for the past few days. According to a senior defense official, the balloon is currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground.

The U.S. government has been monitoring the balloon since it was first spotted over Billings, Montana, on Wednesday. Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Matthew C. Ryder said that the US military decided against shooting it out of the sky.

“Once the balloon was detected, the U.S. government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information,” Ryder said. “We are confident that this high-altitude surveillance balloon belongs to the [People’s Republic of China].”

The Pentagon has been tracking the balloon for several days as it made its way over the northern United States. Instances of this activity have been observed over the past several years, including prior to this administration.

The US military is continuing to monitor the balloon and is taking steps to ensure that sensitive information is not collected. It is unclear at this time how long the balloon will remain in the air or what its purpose is.