A video filmed in Montana appears to show what could be a suspected Chinese spy balloon that has been flying over the United States for a couple of days, U.S. officials said
"The balloon is currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground."
"The level of espionage aimed at our country by Beijing has grown dramatically more intense & brazen over the last 5 years," Rubio said on Twitter.Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said he would request a "Gang of Eight" briefing, referring to a classified national security briefing for congressional leaders and Republican and Democratic leaders of the intelligence committees.
Since then, Washington and Beijing have sought to communicate more frequently and prevent ties from worsening.U.S. military leaders considered shooting down the balloon over Montana on Wednesday but eventually advised Biden against it because of the safety risk from debris, the official told reporters.
"But even with those protective measures taken, it was the judgment of our military commanders that we didn't drive the risk down low enough. So we didn't take the shot." Officials declined to say how high the balloon was flying but acknowledged it was operating above civilian air traffic and below "outer space."Such balloons typically operate at 80,000-120,000 feet , well above where commercial air traffic flies. The highest-performing fighter aircraft typically do not operate above 65,000 feet, although spy planes such as the U-2 have a service ceiling of 80,000 feet or more.
"Currently, we assess that this balloon has limited additive value from an intelligence collection perspective, but we are taking steps nevertheless to protect against foreign intelligence collection of sensitive information," the official said.
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