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The U.S. intelligence community has revealed that the Chinese spy balloon shot down this past weekend is part of a sweeping surveillance program run by Beijing’s military, with many similar airships seen over at least five different continents and regions in the past several years.
We’ll share what we know so far about the Chinese spy program and where other balloons have been spotted. Plus, details about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s surprise visit to London and what he asked for while there, and President Biden’s latest remarks about the war in Ukraine.
This is Defense & National Security, your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. For The Hill, I’m Ellen Mitchell. Subscribe here.US intel: Balloon part of larger surveillance program
The U.S. intelligence community has found that the Chinese spy balloon shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday is connected to a larger surveillance program run by Beijing’s government, the Pentagon’s top spokesperson confirmed Wednesday.
Along with the balloon that traversed U.S. airspace last week, the Defense Department is aware of at least four previous balloons that have flown over U.S. territory, press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters.
“This is what we assess as part of a larger Chinese surveillance balloon program,” Ryder said. “This is a program that’s been operated for several years.”
Earlier: The first reported on Tuesday that American intelligence agencies linked the Chinese balloon to a wide-reaching surveillance program run by the People’s Liberation Army and operating partly out of Hainan province off the country’s south coast.
And on Saturday, senior Pentagon officials hinted at a larger Chinese high-altitude surveillance program, pointing to another balloon that was observed transiting Central and South America.
Spreading the word: The official also confirmed that Washington has been briefing allies and partners who have also been the target of such surveillance.
Ryder on Wednesday said the airships have been seen over five continents and regions including North America, South America, Europe and southeast and east Asia.
What were they looking for?: In the case of the latest balloon, Beijing was looking to “surveil strategic sites to include some of our strategic bases in the continental United States,” Ryder said.
The Chinese spy balloon has set off a torrent of questions as to how often such flying objects have made their way over U.S. territory and what intelligence the airships have been able to gather.
Closing an intelligence gap: In some instances, after a spy balloon had left U.S. airspace, subsequent intelligence analysis led officials to realize the previously unidentified aerial object belonged to the Chinese, Ryder said.
