Pentagon officials suspect the high-altitude surveillance balloon is of Chinese origin. [Credit: Adobe Stock]
Key Takeaways:
The U.S. military is tracking a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon over the continental U.S., initially spotted near a nuclear missile silo field in Montana.
Pentagon officials confirmed the high-altitude balloon poses no military or physical threat to people on the ground and is traveling above commercial air traffic.
The U.S. government opted not to shoot down the balloon due to its large size, which could cause significant damage from falling debris.
This type of balloon activity is not new, with similar instances observed previously, and the U.S. is taking steps to protect against sensitive information collection.
The U.S. military is tracking a foreign surveillance balloon located in the U.S., Pentagon officials confirmed Thursday.
Military officials suspect the high-altitude balloon, initially spotted Wednesday in Montana, is of Chinese origin, NPR reported. The state is home to Malmstrom Air Force Base, one of the nation’s three nuclear missile silo fields.
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