US tracking suspected Chinese surveillance balloon

[{"selector":"#anim-0887d257-0675-43a5-82bf-7d64fb256596","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e90f6345-8317-4bd0-af97-1e2e4f745e98","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-131.36532%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-90fe97d1-7f15-4b97-b153-032401360e93","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1b3e881e-b316-4e69-a7cd-c43779942955","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 47.09968%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The US is monitoring a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that has been spotted in North American skies this week. credit-google

[{"selector":"#anim-916a24fc-dbe8-4cf8-9d59-f4deb5eb2218","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bea88cc2-de95-4a41-9482-410fe9f5041f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 49.76205%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-48eb1f8f-829b-467c-9d94-465f5a433760","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1c72ac50-45cf-4af2-a21d-c4408685df5a","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-135.83334%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Pentagon officials told a briefing that they suspected the high-altitude surveillance balloon was from China. credit-google

[{"selector":"#anim-ae2f4c57-8f48-4cdd-94d6-6d3a72c45a5b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f01235cb-f432-420b-aa46-c0f230aa51a8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 125.61207%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8dcaa2e7-b928-4e07-850d-b8ed508790f6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dd96747e-3631-46b7-8ffe-392813e96fd3","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-89.61538%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] US military chiefs have decided not to fly the alleged spy plane out of the sky for the time being, citing security concerns. credit-google

The Pentagon said that US President Joe Biden has been briefed about the situation.

[{"selector":"#anim-33f3bb14-b8f3-4f17-9a5f-68203dceb8f7","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9fc7e92b-6998-4cef-8f41-f59934ffe8c8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 46.09970%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-187c1273-c8c7-4d30-928d-70ef56079969","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e558ab9e-0b25-45cf-be8d-6df8c1feef41","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-129.45736%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] credit-google

[{"selector":"#anim-736342b9-8e7e-4a01-bcb1-94cda23e41ef","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ebc4d134-4025-40bc-8199-c0cf0626fca9","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 50.04085%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f6e5cfd8-d3fc-4569-968a-8fa32e18df50","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ba31fab9-994f-4790-943d-aca13c58fbcf","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-129.45454%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the US government has prepared fighter jets, including the F-22, in case the White House orders officials to shoot down the balloon. credit-google

[{"selector":"#anim-529cd4b9-b0d3-4b86-90c1-0ba769075756","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-36e710ac-f7e0-4d72-8edb-7221e5143668","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 147.68518%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-70c3775d-83bc-4c4c-a366-039e605a7d11","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a9d90436-f4a0-4a1b-90ed-747ef6bbd351","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-84.42211%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The object was spotted on Wednesday over Montana, a sparsely populated western US state that is home to a nuclear missile base. credit-google

[{"selector":"#anim-a41dd5af-3bbe-4b2d-a534-34f52afebb3b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-640ebd0c-f541-47a1-a8b0-976dcffdeeca","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 43.72528%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-41dfeb0c-7726-4a53-aacb-9534dc9776aa","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e0d0d96c-f0e9-4420-ad18-142410d0b27f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-130.20409%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Military commanders advised dynamic action against the balloons because of the danger of falling debris to the ground. credit-google

[{"selector":"#anim-075414a1-e93b-4a43-8cb9-7ba164b2f401","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3ce7ef0a-788f-4f85-9cee-84fdc84d7cc0","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 46.22065%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d57e9c54-68b9-40fb-a6c2-058717443200","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-487f93ec-33f7-4844-82c4-f1bbd0337b84","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-131.24999%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] There was also no danger to civil aviation as the balloon was well above the altitude used by commercial airlines. credit-google

The US has taken up the matter with Chinese officials in Washington DC and its embassy in Beijing.

[{"selector":"#anim-06850495-0ff6-4b64-afde-cded9db127f5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-662fec1f-4e28-4dc0-b4ac-6dc86bc9b3e8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 52.17480%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-79fa8719-6c1c-41b7-86b5-ddc843b415ec","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-eacf9e12-7c4d-494b-ae0a-3c552c4c4c0e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-124.63768%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] credit-google

[{"selector":"#anim-e5e57663-57ea-42b5-b9ee-78f8aef05338","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-64e23ce3-d9ce-40f8-ac78-32fc88d53dbb","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 49.95048%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7ab0df6d-9333-4e4d-a2a7-6c9fe546a99e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-348cf906-b9b8-4c08-87ab-4ea683befe4e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-136.8217%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] The Chinese embassy in Washington DC did not immediately respond to a request for comment. credit-google