The Pentagon has sounded an alarm as a Chinese spy balloon was detected over Montana. It said it was monitoring the situation and has been tracking its flight for a few days. Though it has the capacity to do so, the Pentagon decided against shooting it down citing safety issues. Officials in Pentagon said that they were monitoring the situation and the balloon was being continuously tracked ever since it entered American airspace.
Multiple tracking sources including crewed flights have traced the Chinese balloon across Montana, home to silo-based nuclear missiles. aviation authorities have suspended flights across airports.
The Chinese government is yet to confirm ownership over the balloon. State-backed Chinese media have used the issue to taunt America. A Chinese nationalistic tabloid said that the balloon was a big target and if Pentagon could allow it to drift into the country, it spoke little of the nation’s air defense system. It called the American air defense system untrustworthy and a mere decoration.
Pentagon Monitoring Situation: Canada Claims Balloon Traced
After the announcement of the incident by the Pentagon, the national defense department of Canada has also reported tracking a surveillance balloon at a high altitude. It reported that it was monitoring a second incident. The Canadian agencies are working with American partners and have taken all necessary steps to safeguard. It said that it was doing everything to safeguard the national interests against terrorist threats.
The Pentagon said that the balloon was presently flying at very high altitudes. the incident happened even as Antony Gonzalves, the state secretary, was sent to China for talks with Xi Jinping. Though the trip had not been finally announced, both the Chinese and American authorities have revealed dates and talked about his imminent arrival. Another recent point of friction is the increased presence of American troops at its naval airbase in the Philippines.
