| China insists that the balloon discovered in the US is a civilian balloon, while Washington says it is a spy balloon. Image: USA Today. |
A giant white balloon over the US airspace has caused a diplomatic “whirlwind” and caused a stir throughout social networks.
China’s Foreign Ministry said on February 3 that this was an unintended incident, confirming that the hot air balloon discovered in the US was a civilian balloon used for research purposes.
Meanwhile, the US was sure it was a spy balloon and decided to shoot it down with a missile over the Atlantic on the afternoon of February 4.
Its presence prompted US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel a trip to China. The Pentagon said the balloon carries sensors and monitoring equipment, which can be controlled and changed in flight direction.
What is the purpose?
The Pentagon and other officials confirmed that it was a Chinese spy balloon moving east of the United States at an altitude of 18.6 km. > reported that an official described the balloon as being the size of three buses.
US officials say the administration of President Joe Biden knew about the object even before it entered US airspace over Alaska. Meanwhile, the White House said Biden first received notice about the balloon on January 31.
Blinken and Deputy Secretary Wendy Sherman spoke to senior Chinese officials in Washington on the evening of February 1 about the issue, the State Department said.
In his first public statement on February 2, Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder said the balloon was not a military threat, implicitly implying it was not carrying weapons. He added that after the discovery, the US military took action to block the ability to collect sensitive information.
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| Hot air balloon over Billings, Montana, February 1. Image: AP. |
However, according to John Ferrari, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, even when unarmed, hot air balloons still pose a risk to the US.
He said the purpose of this flight route could be to test the US’s ability to detect incoming threats and find holes in the air defense warning system.
In addition, this could also allow the Chinese device to sense electromagnetic radiation that cannot be detected by higher-altitude satellites, such as low-power radio frequencies that help them understand how communication between US weapons systems.
He also said that this action is likely to be a warning from China, showing that “they can do it”.
Journey to the decision to shoot down
According to sources, Mr. Biden, along with some members of Congress, initially wanted to shoot down the balloon on February 1. However, the Pentagon advised against doing so because of the risk to the people below, and Mr. Biden agreed.
An official said the sensor package carried by the balloon weighed more than 453 kg. The size and height of the balloon can send debris flying for kilometers and it is impossible to know where they will land.
Officials said the United States monitored the balloons using a variety of methods.
Congressman Jim Himes suggested that taking a balloon for research could be valuable: “I’d rather own a Chinese hot air balloon than clean up debris from it.”
A senior US military official on February 4 confirmed that the balloon was shot down off the coast of South Carolina.
The official said the US military used an F-22 and shot down the balloon with an AIM-9X missile.