RNS: The United States is keeping tabs on a Chinese surveillance balloon that has reportedly been flying over strategic locations. Officials from the Department of Defense said they were sure that China was the source of the “high-altitude surveillance balloon.”
The balloon has been spotted flying over sensitive sites. More recently, it was spotted high above Montana. Even though military leaders thought about shooting it down, they decided not to because they were worried about falling debris.
Meanwhile, China has not yet commented on it.
Joe Biden, Vice President of the United States, has been briefed on the situation. On Wednesday, the object was spotted over Billings, Montana. It had previously flown over the Aleutian Islands in Alaska and across Canada.
A senior defence official who requested anonymity, said the government was ready with fighter jets, including F-22s, in case the White House ordered them to shoot down the object. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley met on Wednesday to discuss the situation.
