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2023 Chinese balloon incident

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2023 Chinese balloon incident
File:UFO over Billings Montana 2-1-2023.png
Balloon over Billings, Montana
Date1 February 2023 (2023-02-01) – present
DurationOngoing
LocationAirspace over United States, Canada, and Latin America
TypeDiplomatic incident
CauseChinese balloons entering foreign airspace
MotiveU.S. and Canada allege reconnaissance; China claims meteorological intent and force majeure due to westerlies

On 2 February 2023, American and Canadian defense spokesmen announced that NORAD was tracking a surveillance balloon over the northern United States. The high-altitude balloon travelled through Alaska, across Canada, and entered Montana on 1 February, and by 3 February was spotted over Missouri, continuing on an easternly course. The Chinese government said the balloon was a civilian airship used for meteorological research that had deviated from its course. In response, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed then cancelled his scheduled diplomatic trip to China.[1][2]

On 3 February, the United States Department of Defense said a second surveillance balloon was flying over Latin America.

Background

Surveillance balloons, one of the earliest air warfare technologies, were widely used by militaries in the late 19th and 20th century, including by the United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War.[3] By the time of the incident, they were mostly superseded by the advent of surveillance satellites and drones, though they retained some advantanges, including lower costs to produce and deploy.[3][4] The People's Republic of China operated an extensive surveillance satellite network as of 2021, with more than 260 systems.[3]

Incident

File:Изображение 2023-02-04 144743083.png
GDAS Meteorological Data
External image
image icon Possible route of balloon modelled using HYSPLIT, BBC

On 2 February 2023, the United States Department of Defense (DoD) announced that it had for several days been tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon moving eastward at an altitude of 60,000 feet (18,000 m) over the northern United States, which it was confident belonged to China.[5] Canada's Department of National Defence stated later that day the joint American–Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) was tracking a surveillance balloon.[6] The balloon, flying far above the typical maximum commercial flight altitude of 39,000 feet (12,000 m), was judged by the military to not pose a threat to civil aviation or people on the ground.[7][8]

The balloon was described as the size of three buses and equipped with a technology bay.[9] A senior defense official said the balloon had traveled from China to the Aleutian Islands and through northwest Canada before arriving in Montana on 1 February, when it was spotted over Billings.[6][8] A possible route along this trajectory, following prevailing westerlies, was calculated by a meterological researcher using the HYSPLIT atmospheric model.[10] Montana is the location of multiple nuclear missile installations, including Malmstrom Air Force Base, one of three US Air Force bases that operate intercontinental ballistic missiles.[6] On 3 February, the balloon was observed above northwest Missouri, near Kansas City.[8]

On 3 February, the DoD stated that a second Chinese surveillance balloon was flying over Latin America.[11] Early reports indicated a balloon flying over Costa Rica, Colombia, and Venezuela.[12][13][14]

Response

External videos
video icon Defense Department Briefing, 3 February 2023, C-SPAN

United States

US defense officials considered shooting the balloon down but decided not to due to the risk of debris injuring civilians on the ground.[15] A meeting was convened between Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, NORTHCOM/NORAD Commander General Glen D. VanHerck, and other military commanders.[16] President Joe Biden was advised by officials to not shoot it down because debris could hit people on the ground.[16] The balloon was monitored by manned aircraft sent by NORAD, including the early warning aircraft Boeing E-3 Sentry (commonly known as AWACS), a reconnaissance RC-135, and F-22 Raptor aircraft from Nellis Air Force Base.[15] Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed his scheduled diplomatic trip to China, then cancelled on 3 February in response.[1][2] In response to shouted questions regarding the situation, President Joe Biden stated that the U.S. would "take care of it."[17]

Canada

Canadian officials and Global Affairs Canada summoned Chinese ambassador to Canada, Cong Peiwu, to Ottawa while the Department of National Defence announced it was monitoring the situation alongside the United States through NORAD.[18][19] A statement from the Canadian Armed Forces said there was no threat to Canadians, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly would remain in contact with Secretary of State Antony Blinken.[20]

China

Spokeswoman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry Mao Ning said: "It is a civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological, purposes. Affected by the Westerlies and with limited self-steering capability, the airship deviated far from its planned course."[21]

The state-controlled China Daily newspaper reported: "To spy on the US with a balloon, one must both fall far behind to use a 1940s technology and be advanced enough to control its flight across the ocean. Those fabricating the lie are only exposing their ignorance."[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Blinken cancels Beijing trip, as U.S. rejects China's 'spy balloon' denials". CBC News. 3 February 2023. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  2. ^ a b Cadell, Cate; Hudson, John; Abutaleb, Yasmeen. "Blinken postpones China trip as suspected spy balloon detected over U.S.". The Washington Post. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  3. ^ a b c De Guzman, Chad (3 February 2023). "Why Is China Allegedly Using a Spy Balloon When It Has a Global Satellite Network?". Time.
  4. ^ Ng, Kelly (3 February 2023). "Why would China use a spy balloon when it has satellites?". BBC News.
  5. ^ Kube, Courtney; Lee, Carol E. (3 February 2023). "Suspected Chinese spy balloon found over northern U.S." NBC News. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Cooper, Helene (3 February 2023). "Pentagon Says It Detected a Chinese Spy Balloon Hovering Over Montana". The New York Times.
  7. ^ Sullivan, Helen (3 February 2023). "Spy balloons: What are they and why are they still being used?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  8. ^ a b c Mansoor, Sanya (3 February 2023). "The Alleged Chinese Spy Balloon Is Now Over Missouri. Here's What We Know About Its Path". Time.
  9. ^ Raddatz, Martha; Martinez, Luis (3 February 2023). "Large Chinese reconnaissance balloon spotted over the US, officials say". ABC News. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  10. ^ "China balloon: Could it have been blown off course as Beijing claims?". BBC News. 3 February 2023. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  11. ^ "Another Chinese 'surveillance balloon' is flying over Latin America, Pentagon says". NBC News. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  12. ^ Hutzler, Alexandra; Cathey, Libby; Deliso, Meredith; Guerilus, Stephanie. "Chinese balloon live updates: Second balloon flying over South America: Pentagon". ABC News. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  13. ^ "2nd Chinese surveillance balloon spotted over South America, Pentagon says". 6ABC. 4 February 2023. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  14. ^ Ward, Alexander. "Pentagon says another Chinese spy balloon spotted over Latin America". Politico. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  15. ^ a b c Borger, Julian (3 February 2023). "Pentagon says it is monitoring Chinese spy balloon spotted flying over US". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  16. ^ a b Kube, Courtney; Lee, Carol E. (3 February 2023). "Suspected Chinese spy balloon found over northern U.S." NBC News. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  17. ^ Hutzler, Alexandra; Cathey, Libby; Deliso, Meredith; Guerilus, Stephanie (4 February 2023). "Chinese balloon live updates: 'We're going to take care of it,' Biden says". ABC News. Retrieved 4 February 2023.
  18. ^ "Ottawa tight-lipped on details as Canada, U.S. call out China over balloon". CTV News. 3 February 2023. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  19. ^ D'Andrea, Aaron; Boynton, Sean (3 February 2023). "Suspected Chinese surveillance balloon spent time in Canadian airspace: Sources". Global News. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  20. ^ "Canadian pilots were warned of 'untethered balloon' amid China surveillance concerns". Global News. 3 February 2023. Archived from the original on 3 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  21. ^ Hansler, Jennifer; Liptak, Kevin; Herb, Jeremy; Atwood, Kylie; Sciutto, Kylie; Liebermann, Oren (3 February 2023). "Blinken postpones trip to Beijing after Chinese spy balloon spotted over US, officials say". CNN. Archived from the original on 4 February 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
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