The Chinese spy balloon that spied on the U.S. for weeks earlier this year used American technology, a preliminary investigative report said.
Officials said the balloon was outfitted with US-made equipment that facilitated the collection of photos, video and other information — but did not appear to be providing it, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
Several defense and intelligence agencies, as well as the FBI, analyzed the debris, which was recovered after the US military intercepted and crashed the balloon nearly five months ago.
The investigation revealed that the balloon contained a combination of off-the-shelf American equipment, some of which was available online, as well as special Chinese sensors and other data collection and transmission tools.
The latest US findings contradict China’s claims that the device was used for weather monitoring and not espionage, fueling suspicions and remaining a source of tension between the two nations.
A fighter jet flies near the remains of the balloon after it was hit by a missile over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of South Carolina near Myrtle Beach on February 4
The Chinese balloon takes to the skies over Billings, Montana on February 1st. Officials have now revealed that the balloon was fitted with US-made equipment that facilitated the collection of photos, video and other information – but did not appear to provide it
The presence of both types of equipment suggests that the balloon was intended for surveillance purposes rather than scientific observations.
Officials described the Chinese spy balloon as a clever attempt by Beijing to conduct surveillance using a combination of readily available and specialized equipment.
During its eight-day journey across the country via Alaska, Canada and the lower 48 states, the balloon collected data but did not appear to be relaying it back to China, officials told The Wall Street Journal.
It remains unclear whether this was due to a malfunction or whether US military countermeasures prevented the information from being transmitted.
This incident further strained the already tense relationship between the US and China.
Recently, however, the Biden administration and Chinese leaders have expressed a desire to put the balloon incident behind them.
President Joe Biden called the balloon “more embarrassing than intended” for Chinese leaders, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the chapter should be closed as long as such incidents don’t happen again.
However, Chinese leaders have warned that Beijing will be forced to react harshly should US investigators’ report on the balloon become public, potentially derailing high-level engagement.
Marines recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon February 5 off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in the Atlantic Ocean
Sailors collect debris recovered from the downing of the Chinese ‘spy balloon’ off the coast of Myrtle Beach in the Atlantic Ocean for transport to the FBI
An F-22 Raptor fighter jet fired a single AIM-9X missile to shoot down a Chinese spy balloon and its payload, which was equipped with cameras, sensors and radars
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Blinken are expected to travel to Beijing in the coming months as both try to schedule a meeting between Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping later this year.
New evidence uncovered by the BBC this week also showed China’s spy balloon program over Japan and Taiwan.
According to the BBC report, Japan has confirmed balloons have flown over its territory and said it stands ready to shoot them down in the future.
China has not directly dealt with the evidence presented by the BBC.
The path of the Secret Service collection balloons that flew over the United States in February
The Chinese “spy balloon” that flew over the US in February gathered intelligence from several US military sites before being shot down.
The balloon entered US airspace on Jan. 28 and was shot down on Feb. 4 after overflying US nuclear missile sites, including Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana.
China reportedly managed to control the balloon as it flew in rows of eight over the same location.
The balloon, which Beijing previously denied, was a government spy ship that was launched from southern China in late January.
It then drifted east and entered US airspace over Alaska and was first tracked while flying over Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, where nuclear weapons are stored.
Biden was informed two days later and decided to shoot down the plane over the Atlantic a week after it arrived in the United States.
Biden had reportedly called for the balloon to be launched “as soon as possible,” but the US military advised him to wait.
It traversed the continent before being shot down over sea for safety reasons.
American jets monitored the passing object.
President Joe Biden has downplayed the recent Chinese spy balloon to hover over the US
Blinken recently visited China, becoming the highest-ranking US government official to visit China since Biden took office in January 2021
The spy balloon, which US officials said had only rudimentary flight controls, flew over a number of US nuclear missile sites
On February 4, the Air Force sent an F-22 fighter jet armed with an AIM-9X Sidewinder missile to shoot down the balloon over water.
Later, sailors were tasked with recovering the balloon from the Atlantic and are still analyzing it.
The balloon was found to have a self-destruct mechanism that could have been remotely activated from China.
The Biden administration at the time downplayed the seriousness of the spy balloon.
The President told Telemundo on Feb. 9, “This is not a serious violation. Look, the overall volume of intelligence gathering that’s taking place in every country in the world is mind-boggling.”
He said the balloon’s flight was a “violation of international law”.
“China has some legitimate difficulties that have nothing to do with the United States.” And I think one of the reasons that caused that balloon wasn’t so much that it was shot down, but I don’t think the leadership knew where it was and what was in it and what was going on,” Biden said.
“I think it was more embarrassing than intended,” he added.