US shoots down four ‘flying objects’: What we know so far
The US had been tracking the Chinese spy balloon ever since it left Hainan Island near China’s south coast – meaning it was under surveillance for almost a week before it entered American airspace, according to unnamed officials.
The spy balloon was ultimately shot down by the US military on 4 February and officials have been retrieving debris from the Atlantic Ocean for analysis.
But, The Washington Post has now reported that US intelligence agencies were monitoring the balloon as soon as it left its base on Hainan Island and began charting its flight path to the US territory of Guam.
The craft veered off course along the route, taking it over Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, Canada and Montana, before it was shot down off the coast of South Carolina.
Officials told the paper they are exploring the possibility that it was indeed an accident for China to fly over North American airspace.
The revelation comes as the White House announced on Tuesday that the three other objects shot down by American fighter jets were likely used for commercial or other “benign” purposes.
