a Chinese balloon spied on military bases in the United States

The Chinese balloon, shot down over the US territory in February, was gathering secret information about American military bases. This is stated in the NBC investigation. His equipment could intercept electronic signals of military equipment and negotiations of American servicemen. Chinese intelligence could receive information in real time.

With reference to three high-ranking officials – two active and one retired – the journalists claim that the balloon was controllable, so that the operator could make it stop over a certain place or fly around it in a circle. The sources said that the command of the military bases took measures to make it difficult to intercept the signal by the balloon, up to the point of turning off the radio-electronic equipment.

Also, the balloon had a built-in self-destruct mechanism. It is not known why it did not work – it was defective or the Chinese operator deliberately decided not to take such a step.

• The balloon was first seen over Alaska on January 28. A few days later, he was already over the state of Montana, where, in particular, Malstrom Air Force Base is located and where nuclear weapons are located. On February 4, he was shot down by the USAF over the Atlantic coast. The wreckage of the device was studied.
• China claimed that the object was a civilian scientific apparatus that had gone off course. After its destruction, the Chinese authorities expressed their protest in the United States, calling the downing of their balloon an “excessive reaction” and a violation of international norms. The planned visit of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken to Beijing was postponed.