Pentagon officials suspect the high-altitude surveillance balloon is of Chinese origin. [Credit: Adobe Stock]
Key Takeaways:
A high-altitude surveillance balloon, suspected to be Chinese in origin, is currently over the continental United States.
The balloon's altitude is above commercial air traffic and is not considered a military or physical threat to people on the ground.
The U.S. government is tracking the balloon and taking measures to prevent the collection of sensitive information.
Similar balloon activity has been observed in previous years, and shooting down the balloon was deemed too risky due to potential ground damage from debris.
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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