Chinese spy balloon did not collect any information: Pentagon

The Pentagon on Thursday (June 29) said that a Chinese spy balloon that flew over the United States earlier this year before being shot down did not collect information as it went across the country. Speaking to reporters, Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Pat Ryder said, "We assess that it did not collect while it was flying over the US."

According to reports, the balloon spent a week flying over the United States and Canada before the US military shot it down off the Atlantic Coast on President Biden's orders. Debris collected from the balloon after it was shot down was analysed by US intelligence agencies.

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The incident caused a strain between the US and China. General Pat Ryder said that the US was "aware that (the balloon) had intelligence collection capabilities but it has been our assessment now that it did not collect while it was transiting the United States or over flying the United States."

He also said the efforts taken by the US took to mitigate any intelligence gathering "contributed" to the balloon's failure to gather sensitive information. Gen Ryder did not confirm a Wall Street Journal report that American-made equipment was part of the balloon, but he said that Chinese drones in the past have used off-the-shelf US equipment.

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In February this year, the balloon spent a week flying over the United States and Canada before it was shot down by a fighter jet off the Atlantic coast, on orders from President Joe Biden. The sensors from the suspected Chinese spy balloon were later retrieved from the ocean.

There was concern that Beijing was using the balloon to gather information as it passed over US military bases. Chinese officials said it was a civilian weather balloon and that the US overreacted by shooting it down.

• China
• Chinese spy balloon
• General Pat Ryder
• Spy balloon
• United States
• Pentagon
• Canada