US Spy Balloon Was Capable of Transmitting Information Back to Beijing in Real Time, According to Source.
A Chinese spy balloon that entered US airspace earlier this year was able to capture imagery and collect signals intelligence from US military sites before being shot down by the US. The balloon, which crossed into Alaska first and then floated over Canada and Montana, was capable of transmitting information back to Beijing in real time, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The US government still does not know for sure whether the Chinese government could wipe the balloon's data as it received it, raising questions about whether there is intelligence the balloon gathered that the US still doesn't know about. However, officials say the US has been able to gather additional information about how the device worked, including its software algorithms and power sources.
The surveillance program run by China includes a fleet of similar balloons that have conducted at least two dozen missions over five continents in recent years, according to one official familiar with the intelligence. Roughly half a dozen of those flights have been within US airspace, although not necessarily over US territory.
China has maintained that the balloon was actually just a weather balloon thrown off course, but officials believe China did maintain some ability to maneuver the balloon and take advantage of its position to loiter over sensitive sites and try to collect intelligence. The incident further escalated tensions between Washington and Beijing, including the postponement of a diplomatic visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to China.
The balloon's flight over Montana was deemed significant because it hovered for several days, leading the US to believe it was trying to surveil sensitive military sites, such as Malmstrom Air Force Base. The balloon was eventually shot down off the East Coast on February 4.
A Chinese spy balloon that entered US airspace earlier this year was able to capture imagery and collect signals intelligence from US military sites before being shot down by the US. The balloon, which crossed into Alaska first and then floated over Canada and Montana, was capable of transmitting information back to Beijing in real time, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The US government still does not know for sure whether the Chinese government could wipe the balloon's data as it received it, raising questions about whether there is intelligence the balloon gathered that the US still doesn't know about. However, officials say the US has been able to gather additional information about how the device worked, including its software algorithms and power sources.
The surveillance program run by China includes a fleet of similar balloons that have conducted at least two dozen missions over five continents in recent years, according to one official familiar with the intelligence. Roughly half a dozen of those flights have been within US airspace, although not necessarily over US territory.
China has maintained that the balloon was actually just a weather balloon thrown off course, but officials believe China did maintain some ability to maneuver the balloon and take advantage of its position to loiter over sensitive sites and try to collect intelligence. The incident further escalated tensions between Washington and Beijing, including the postponement of a diplomatic visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to China.
The balloon's flight over Montana was deemed significant because it hovered for several days, leading the US to believe it was trying to surveil sensitive military sites, such as Malmstrom Air Force Base. The balloon was eventually shot down off the East Coast on February 4.
Is it like, a super stealthy thing or something? And what's with the weather balloon cover story? Do people really believe that? 
I mean, if they're gonna try to spy on us, they should just be honest about it, right?
. I mean, can you imagine being in a situation where you think you're just cruising over the Great Plains, and then BAM! You've got some high-tech surveillance system on board, collecting intel and transmitting it back to Beijing in real-time 
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i mean, can you imagine having a spy balloon just floating around over your country, capturing everything it sees? its like something out of a movie, but this is real life. and to think china's been doing this for years, with multiple balloons on different continents... that's some serious surveillance tech right there.