The Latest Breaking News on Chinese balloon ‘did not collect any information’, Pentagon says

Concern by both parties over China’s balloon surveillance led to a 419-0 vote in the House of Representatives, denouncing the flight as a violation of U.S. sovereignty.

While balloons may no longer be valued for their war-fighting ability, they retain a unique capacity to undertake surveillance.

WASHINGTON — The Chinese balloon that traversed the United States was capable of collecting communications signals and was part of a military-led spy program that spanned more than 40 countries, Biden administration officials said.

The China balloon shot down by the U.S. was equipped to detect and collect intelligence signals as part of a huge, military-linked aerial surveillance program that targeted more than 40 countries, the Biden administration declared Thursday, citing imagery from American U-2 spy planes.

FBI and State Department officials gave reporters an update on some of what the U.S. has learned so far about the balloon.

WASHINGTON - Images from U2 spy planes showed that the Chinese balloon that flew over the United States last week was unmistakably equipped for collecting intelligence and not weather data, a US official said Thursday.

WASHINGTON — The alleged Chinese spy balloon that flew over the U.S. was capable of collecting communications signals and was part of a broader People’s Liberation Army intelligence-gathering effort that spanned more than 40 countries, a State Department official said Thursday.

The United States recently shot down a Chinese high-altitude balloon after it apparently travelled from China and flew over Alaska and British Columbia.

House lawmakers vote unanimously to condemn the Beijing government for its balloon surveillance program

The Chinese balloon shot down over the United States was part of a huge, military-linked aerial spy scheme targeting more than 40 countries, according to the US government.

State Department says device had multiple antennas ‘likely capable of collecting and geo-locating communications’.