The Pentagon just updated the flight of what they say is a Chinese surveillance balloon that is carrying a “payload”. It’s moved east from Montana toward the central United States. They said the balloon is capable of being controlled and isn’t just wind driven. They refused to answer why action hasn’t been taken to bring the balloon down, other than saying bringing it down could create a debris field below. It’s flying at roughly 60,000 feet. They stated there is no military threat to people on the ground, even though it’s in violation of U.S. air space. No other questions about the balloon were answered. READ MORE
The Chinese government acknowledged that the craft above the U.S. "is from China."
“It is a civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological, purposes,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on its website. It said the balloon “deviated far from its planned course” because of strong winds and a lack of steering ability.
Pentagon Press Secretary General Pat Ryder countered, "The fact is we know it's a surveillance balloon. It has the ability to maneuver," he said, while declining to go into specifics.
The U.S. military had been monitoring the balloon for days, U.S. officials and a senior defense official told NBC News on Thursday. READ MORE
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