Pentagon Releases Selfie Taken By U-2 Pilot Who Was Surveilling Chinese Spy Balloon As It Traveled Across American Airspace

Daily Mail: Chinese spy balloon selfie: Pentagon releases U2 pilot's cockpit picture of Beijing's surveillance craft as it flew over United States sparking crisis for Biden before he ordered it shot down over Atlantic 

* A photo of the spy balloon from a previously unseen angle has been released 

* The Chinese spy craft was shot down off the coast of South Carolina this month 

* The balloon is thought to have achieved altitudes of 60 to 70,000 feet 

The Pentagon has released a selfie taken by the pilot of a US Air Force U2S Dragon Lady who was surveilling the Chinese spy balloon as it traveled across American airspace earlier this month. 

During the balloon's flight, it was regularly followed by US spy planes before being shot down over the South Carolina coastline on the orders of President Joe Biden on February 4. 

The selfie was taken on February 3, when the balloon was close to Kansas. Prior to the picture's release, CNN reported that the selfie had achieved 'legendary status' within the US-Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command and the Pentagon.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: That is a lot of equipment being carried by this Chinese "spy" balloon. 

Pentagon Releases Selfie Taken By U-2 Pilot Who Was Surveilling Chinese Spy Balloon As It Traveled Across American Airspace 

U-2 Pilot’s Selfie Flying Alongside Chinese Spy Balloon Leaks (Updated) -- Warzone/The Drive  

Pentagon releases selfie taken by US pilot showing the Chinese spy balloon in air -- CNN 

Pentagon releases U-2 photo of Chinese spy balloon in flight before it was shot down -- FOX News  

U.S. releases photo of Chinese balloon captured by U-2 spy plane -- Washington Post  

Close-up photo of Chinese spy balloon in flight released by US military -- ABC News 

A U-2 pilot took selfie with Chinese spy balloon before it was downed -- Business Insider  

A U-2 Pilot Took This Selfie With the Chinese Spy Balloon. It's Astonishing. -- Popular Mechanics

President Biden Says Three Recently Downed Aerial Objects Were Not Linked To A Chinese Spy Program

 

Daily Mail: Biden says there's NO evidence three shot-down UFOs were Chinese and were likely from 'private companies' - and tells reporter 'give me a break' when asked if he's 'compromised' by family business in China' 

* Biden addressed the nation on Thursday after four objects had been shot down 

* He promised 'sharper rules' for dealing with unidentified objects in U.S. airspace 

* He said three objects likely belonged to private companies, not spy agencies 

President Joe Biden said Thursday he made no apologies for shooting down a Chinese spy balloon but admitted three other mysterious aerial objects, destroyed by U.S. warplanes, were not thought to be surveillance vehicles. 

He finally broke his silence after more than a week of questions about a spate of apparent incursions into American airspace. 

But he abruptly left the stage at the end of his remarks when a reporter demanded to know whether his family's business interests got in the way of dealing with China.  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor:  He definitely did not want to answer any questions on his family's business ties to China.

President Biden Says Three Recently Downed Aerial Objects Were Not Linked To A Chinese Spy Program  

Biden says three recently downed aerial objects were not linked to Chinese spy program -- CNBC

 'I'll take it down': Biden vows action but says 3 objects shot down not spy vehicles -- ABC News Biden says he'll speak to China's Xi about balloon incident -- Reuters  

Biden wants ‘sharper rules’ on unknown aerial objects -- AP

President Biden Will Deliver Remarks Later Today On The Aerial Objects The Military Shot Down In The Past Two Weeks

U.S. President Joe Biden addresses the National Association of Counties (NACo) Legislative Conference in Washington, U.S., February 14, 2023. REUTERS/Leah Millis  

NBC: Biden plans to deliver his most extensive remarks yet about the aerial objects the military shot down 

Biden will explain how the administration is forming rules to deal with other objects in the future. 

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden plans to deliver his most extended public remarks yet — as early as Thursday — about the unidentified objects that the U.S. military has been shooting down, three people familiar with the matter said. 

Biden will explain how he has tasked his administration with setting parameters about how to deal with balloons and other aerial objects spotted in the future. 

The exact timing of Biden’s remarks has not been settled. The president is due to take a physical exam Thursday that could last several hours. 

With federal investigators analyzing the wreckage and many questions still unanswered, Biden has been sparing in his remarks.  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: We are already seeing changes in how the US military should respond to these incursions .... How China’s spy balloon spurred a rapid shift in US sky patrol (The Hill).

Ukraine Says Russia Is Launching ‘Military Balloons’ With Corner Reflectors To Exhaust Its Air Defenses

Russian balloon

#UkraineWar #Ukraine #Russia
The Ukrainian Air Force has shot down a balloon launched by Russia: The Russian army used "several balloons with angular reflectors", as well as a reconnaissance drone over the sky of Dnepropetrovsk - AFU

— 🛰️ War in Ukraine 🍉 (@EUFreeCitizen) February 12, 2023

EurAsian Times: Russia Is Launching ‘Military Balloons’ With Corner Reflectors Into Ukraine To Exhaust Its Air Defenses – Kyiv 

The Pentagon informed that an F-16 shot down the object, employing the same AIM-9X Sidewinder missile as in the last three shootdowns. 

Pentagon officials assured that none of these objects shot down appeared to pose a military threat. However, there has been a proliferation of balloons being sent to the continent. 

Intriguingly, even as the United States and Canada are actively fighting the menace of UFOs, Russia has now borrowed a fig leaf from this playbook and started infiltrating Ukrainian airspace with its balloons. Ukraine alleges that the move is aimed at tiring out Ukrainian air defenses.  

Read more ....  

Update: Russia Also Has A Fleet Of Spy Balloons (Warzone/The Drive)  

WNU Editor: It looks like this strategy is working .... Kyiv says it shot down Russian balloons over Ukraine's capital (Reuters). More here .... Ukrainian officials say six Russian ‘balloons’ flying over Kyiv, most shot down (Al Arabiya).

White House Now Admits That Three Objects Shot Down After Chinese Spy Balloon May Been For Nothing

New York Times/DNYUZ: Three objects shot down after Chinese spy balloon may be benign, White House says 

WASHINGTON — A top White House official said three unidentified flying objects shot down in the past several days might turn out to be harmless commercial or research efforts that posed no real threat to the United States.

John Kirby, a spokesman for the National Security Council, said investigators had not yet found any evidence that the three objects were connected to China’s program of balloon surveillance similar to the balloon shot down over South Carolina’s coast this month. 

But he cautioned that officials had not yet been able to find and collect the debris from the three objects after they were shot down, and that a different conclusion could be reached if the debris was found and analyzed. 

Mr. Kirby said that military and intelligence officials had also found nothing to suggest that the three objects were part of an intelligence collection effort by another country.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: Three objects shot down after Chinese spy balloon may be benign, White House says (The Guardian)  

Update #2: In Sudden Narrative Shift, Pentagon Admits Mystery Objects 'Probably' Private Craft Not Tied To Spying (Zero Hedge)  

WNU Editor: WNU posted on the probability that these were domestic weather balloons a few days .... Was The Unindentified Object The U.S. Shot Down Over Alaska Yesterday Just A Failed U.S. Weather Balloon? (February 11, 2023). 

And it gets better. According to some reports the first Chinese "spy balloon" may not have been intended to fly over the US in the first place .... Chinese Spy Balloon May Not have Been Intended to Fly Over Continental U.S., Report Says (NRO).

Romania Scrambles FighterJets After Detecting Suspicious 'Weather Balloon' In Its Airspace

Two Romanian MIG-21 LanceR fighter jets were scrambled. File pic © Reuters 

Daily Mail: Romania scrambles fighter jets to intercept suspicious weather balloon detected at 36,000ft in its airspace amid China-US spy balloon row 

* Two MiG 21 LanceR jets were scrambled to the area 10 minutes after the sighting 

* However, after 30 minutes in the area, pilots were unable to make a visual 

Romania scrambled fighter jets today to intercept a suspicious weather balloon in its airspace, amid the on-going China-US spy balloon row. 

The country said its air force's surveillance system detected an aerial object flying at an altitude of 36,000ft to the area in south-east Romania. 

Two MiG 21 LanceR jets were scrambled to the area 10 minutes after the sighting, but could not confirm the object's presence, the ministry said.  

Read more .... 

Update #1: Romania detects suspicious weather balloon in its airspace, ministry says (Reuters)  

Update #2: Romania scrambles fighter jets after detecting suspicious 'weather balloon' in its airspace (SKY News)  

WNU Editor: Another indication on how everyone is now on heightened alert.

The U.S. Air Force Is Using Sidewinder Missiles To Shoot Down Balloons At A Cost Of $439000 Per Missile

A US sailor checks the AIM-9 sidewinder of a F-14 Tomcat aboard the USS Constellation in Gulf waters. © Photographer: LEILA GORCHEV/AFP

Bloomberg: These Are the $439,000 Missiles the US Is Using to Shoot Down Mystery UFOs 

(Bloomberg) -- As mysteries continue to swirl around the balloon and three other so-far-unidentified objects shot down by the US in recent days, at least one thing has been clear: the weaponry used to knock them out of the sky. 

Be it the original, alleged Chinese surveillance balloon downed off South Carolina, or the objects targeted over Alaska, Michigan and Canada, all have been shot down by the same type of missile — the AIM-9X Sidewinder. 

Here’s what you need to know about it:

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: This is an expensive miss .... First Sidewinder Missile Targeting Object Over Lake Huron Missed At Cost Of $400,000 (Zero Hedge).  

Update: Good question (see tweet below):

The Lake Huron "balloon" (octagonal object) was at just 20,000 feet. So why did our fighters use heat-seeking $400,000 sidewinder missiles to shoot it down when a few cannon rounds could have done the job? Balloons don't have a heat signature and a missile is overkill.

A… https://t.co/EuCRr0TEVT

— Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii) February 14, 2023

What Do We Know About The Objects That Have Been Shot Down In The U.S. And Canada

 

 CNN: White House offers few answers on objects shot from sky  

Three airborne objects in North American airspace were shot from the sky by the American military in the span of three days over the weekend at President Joe Biden’s direction, an unprecedented series of events that is leading to fresh questions about what exactly is transpiring high in the skies above the US.

Biden on Monday ordered a new government-wide effort to determine what precisely is happening. And in four separate locations, from the frozen waters off Alaska to the Carolina coast, work was underway to collect and analyze debris from the shot-down objects. 

But answers about what the objects were, where they were from and what they were doing remained elusive. 

During a midday briefing at the White House, the only detail of certainty was that the objects did not originate from outer space.  

Read more ....  

WNU editor: This is probably when we will know more about what these "objects" are .... Senators will get classified briefing on unidentified objects shot down over weekend (The Hill). 

What Do We Know About The Objects That Have Been Shot Down In The U.S. And Canada  

Explainer-What we know about the objects shot down by the U.S. military -- Reuters  

Here's Everything We Know About 'Unidentified Objects' Shot Down Over the U.S. and Canada -- Time  

What We Know About the Objects Shot Down in the U.S. and Canada -- New York Times  

What we know so far about the Chinese spy balloon and the other objects shot down -- CBS News  

Four flying objects shot down by US jets: What we know so far -- New Scientist

Pentagon Says 'Significant Debris' Recovered From Downed Suspected Chinese Spy Balloon

 

FOX News: US Navy recovers 'significant' portion of Chinese spy balloon off South Carolina, defense official says 

Several unidentified objects were shot down over the weekend that landed in Michigan, Alaska and Canada's Yukon Territory 

US Navy crews participating in efforts to raise a Chinese spy balloon in waters off South Carolina have recovered a portion of the apparatus from the ocean floor, officials said Monday. 

A senior defense official did not say how big the payload was, but described it to Fox News as "significant" in size and that crews "got the electronics they were looking for."  

Read more .... 

Pentagon Says 'Significant Debris' Recovered From Downed Suspected Chinese Spy Balloon 

'Significant debris' recovered from downed suspected Chinese spy balloon, U.S. military says -- Reuters  

Chinese Balloon: US Salvages 'Significant' Amount of Sensors from the Balloon -- Bloomberg  

Significant portion of Chinese balloon spy equipment recovered, US official says -- ABC News 

US military recovers electronic sensors from downed Chinese spy balloon -- NYPost  

Chinese balloon sensors recovered from ocean, says US -- BBC  

‘Significant’ debris from China spy balloon retrieved, says US military -- The Guardian  

US recovers 'key sensors' from suspected Chinese spy balloon -- SKY News

China Says U.S. Balloons Entered Its Airspace Over 10 Times Since 2022

China said Monday that high-altitude balloons belonging to the United States had flown over its airspace without permission more than 10 times since early 2022, and that it had no information on the three unidentified objects shot down over North America since Friday. (Noel Celis / AFP via Getty Images) © Provided by NBC News  

NBC: China says U.S. balloons flew over its airspace more than 10 times 

HONG KONG — China said Monday that high-altitude balloons belonging to the United States had flown over its airspace without permission more than 10 times since early 2022. 

“It is nothing rare for U.S. balloons to illegally enter other countries’ airspace,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a regular news briefing. 

“The U.S. should first reflect upon itself and change course instead of smearing other countries,” he added. 

Wang did not provide further details about the alleged incursions or say whether the balloons appeared to be military in nature or used for spying purposes. He said China reserves the right to use “any necessary means” to deal with such situations. 

U.S. officials were not immediately available for comment.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: The White House has responded .... U.S. denies operating surveillance balloons over China (Politico). 

China Says U.S. Balloons Entered Its Airspace Over 10 Times Since 2022 

China says more than 10 US balloons flew in its airspace -- AP  

China says US balloons breached airspace at least 10 times -- BBC  

China alleges that more than 10 U.S. balloons flew in its airspace in the last year -- L.A. Times  

China says more than 10 high-altitude US balloons flew in its airspace in past year -- The Hill

U.S. Military Shoots Down ‘Unidentified Object’ Over Lake Huron, The 3rd This Week

Daily Mail: Pentagon reveals unidentified object shot down over Lake Huron by F-16 fighter jet had flown near sensitive US military sites in Montana - and had 'potential surveillance capabilities' 

* A third unknown aerial object was shot down over the Great Lakes on Sunday 

* Meanwhile, GOP Rep. Matt Rosendale has insisted that there is another mysterious flying object in the skies above Montana 

* It remains unknown whether these flying objects are more Chinese spy balloons 

The Pentagon has revealed the unidentified object shot down over Lake Huron today had flown near a sensitive US military site in Montana - and had 'potential surveillance capabilities.' 

An F-16 fighter jet shot down the unknown aerial object from around 20,000ft over the Great Lakes at at 2:42pm - after previously destroying two other crafts over Alaska and Canada. 

Now a Department of Defense spokesperson has confirmed: 'Based on its flight path and data we can reasonably connect this object to the radar signal picked up over Montana, which flew in proximity to sensitive DOD sites. 

 Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Why are these unidentified objects all of a sudden being noticed, tracked, and shot down? 

A regular reader of this blog just emailed me and said that the reason why NORAD is able to pick-out these unidentified aircraft and respond so quickly is that the DEFCON level has been raised. That military forces on the North American continent are now on heightened alert, and everyone is now combat ready to respond to any threat to the continent. 

So why has the DEFCON level of readiness being raised right now? 

My gut tells me that Seymour Hersh's bombshell expose on the US being responsible for the destruction of the Nord Stream pipeline (link here) is the reason why. Washington knows that the destruction of this vital Russian piece of infrastructure will be viewed by Kremlin as an act of war, and they are getting ready for any blow-back while not frightening the beejeesus out of the civilian population.

U.S. Military Shoots Down ‘Unidentified Object’ Over Lake Huron, The 3rd This Week  

‘Unidentified object’ downed over Lake Huron, 3rd this week -- AP 

U.S. military brings down flying object over Lake Huron -- Reuters  

U.S. shoots down a fourth high-altitude object as lawmakers demand more information -- CNBC  

U.S. downs unidentified object over Lake Huron, third destroyed since Chinese spy balloon -- Politico  

U.S. military shoots down unidentified object over Lake Huron -- NBC

US military shoots down unidentified flying object over Great Lakes region; same object spotted over Montana -- FOX News  

U.S. military shoots down unidentified object over Lake Huron -- NBC

U.S. military shoots down unidentified object over Great Lakes region -- CBS  

US shoots down another aerial object — this time over Lake Huron -- The Hill  

US military shoots down another flying object over Lake Huron -- BBC 

US shoots down ‘octagonal’ flying object near military sites in Michigan -- The Guardian  

SHOT DOWN US military shoots down UFO over Lake Huron after FAA closed airspace in Northern Michigan for national defense purposes -- The SUN  

Here is what we know about the unidentified objects shot down over North America -- CNN

Was The Unindentified Object The U.S. Shot Down Over Alaska Yesterday Just A Failed U.S. Weather Balloon?

FlightRadar24  

Zero Hedge: What's Known So Far About The "Cylindrical & Silverish Gray" Object Downed Over Alaska 

Recovery efforts utilizing military planes and helicopters in the far northeast arctic region of Alaska continue, where on Friday an unidentified object was shot down by F-22 jets. 

Still, little definitive is known, including who owns the object or where it came from; however, in media and US official reports the 'high-altitude' object is increasingly being referenced as a another balloon. 

Biden called the operation a "success" - and yet didn't engage reporters' questions directly when asked about follow-up details. 

What has become clear is that Biden gave the order to shoot it down before knowing who owned it or where it came from, or whether it was state-owned or perhaps owned by a corporation. And of course the question remains: was this another Chinese spy balloon? Or was it a weather research balloon just downed over Alaska?  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Moon of Alabama makes a convincing case that what the US Air Force shot down on Friday was just a failed weather balloon .... Airforce Spent Millions To Shoot Down A Failed U.S. Weather Balloon - Biden Is Happy It Did So (Moon of Alabama).

Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau Says US Jet Has Shot Down An 'Unidentified Object' Over Northern Canada

Daily Mail: US F-22 shoots down 'unidentified object' over Canada after Trudeau gave the order to intercept it: US military is monitoring up to two others 

* Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, confirmed on Saturday afternoon that the object had been shot down over the Yukon 

* Trudeau said that Canadian jets and U.S. F-22s were scrambled, with the F-22 shooting it down: the debris is now being recovered 

* The shooting comes a day after Biden ordered another 'unidentified object' be shot down over Alaska, and a week after a spy balloon was hit in South Carolina 

Justin Trudeau, the Canadian prime minister, announced on Saturday that he had requested U.S. and Canadian forces scramble to intercept 'an unidentified object that violated Canadian airspace', and a U.S. F-22 shot it down. 

The incident came a day after Joe Biden ordered another 'unidentified object' be shot down over Alaska, and a week after a spy balloon which crossed the U.S. was shot down off South Carolina. 

The airport in the tiny village of Mayo, home to 200 people in remote Yukon wilderness, was closed while the operation was taking place.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Canada's Defense Minister has given an update on today's incident (see video below).

  

US Jet Has Shot Down An 'Unidentified Object' Over Northern Canada 

NORAD shoots down ‘unidentified object’ over Yukon, Trudeau saysNORAD shoots down ‘unidentified object’ over Yukon, Trudeau says -- Global News  

Norad shoots down 'unidentified object' over Yukon, PM Trudeau says -- CTV News 

Defence minister provides update on downing of 'unidentified object' over Yukon -- CBC  

Trudeau: US fighter shot down object over northern Canada -- AP 

U.S. fighter jet shoots down object over Canada -- Reuters  

US jet shoots down new mystery 'object' over Canada -- France 24  

US and Canada military shoot down new unidentified object -- BBC 

Unknown object in Canadian airspace shot down, says Trudeau -- DW  

US jet shoots down 'unidentified object' over northern Canada, Trudeau says -- CNN  

Unmanned aircraft shot down over Canada by US jets, official says -- USA Today  

Third High-Altitude Airborne Object Shot Down By US Fighter Jet -- Zero Hedge

US Says Chinese Spy Balloon Contained Technology To Monitor Communication Signals

 

CNN: US officials disclosed new details about the balloon’s capabilities. Here’s what we know 

Biden administration officials disclosed new information Thursday about the capabilities of the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that traversed the United States last week and what they are learning as the FBI begins analyzing the parts recovered after the balloon was shot down Saturday. 

US officials also detailed what they’ve discovered about the broader spying operation they say the Chinese government has undertaken using a fleet of high-altitude surveillance balloons across the globe. 

But senior Biden officials faced pointed questions on Capitol Hill from lawmakers in public hearings and classified briefings as Congress is demanding more information about why the balloon wasn’t shot down sooner.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: Chinese Spy Balloon Capable Of Collecting Data (FOX TV) 

Update #2: Spy Balloon Contained Technology To Monitor Communications, Officials Say (Daily Caller)   

WNU Editor: According to the US President. nothing to worry here .... Anyway, it's not a major breach': Biden brushes off Chinese spy balloon invading US airspace and monitoring US comms because 'ALL countries gather intelligence' (Daily Mail).

Beijing Wants Its Balloon Back Saying It Belongs To China

Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Feb. 5, 2023. Petty Officer 1st Class Tyler Thompson  

Business Insider: China wants spy balloon back: ‘It belongs to China’ 

* China now wants its busted balloon returned to it after the US shot it down. 

* US Navy divers fished pieces of the massive balloon out of the Atlantic Ocean this weekend. 

* "The airship does not belong to the US," a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. 

China now wants its busted suspected spy balloon returned after the United States military shot down the device over the coast of South Carolina and fished pieces of it out of the Atlantic Ocean. 

When a reporter asked on Tuesday whether China has called on the US to give back the debris of the downed balloon, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, "The airship does not belong to the US. It belongs to China." 

Additionally, a top Chinese diplomat also said that the US should give back the remnants of the balloon because it's not US property.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: China wants its downed spy aircraft back, saying it 'does not belong to the US' (FOX News)  

Update #2: China wants spy balloon back: ‘It belongs to China’ (American Military News) 

WNU Editor: Not going to happen. But China is still trolling the US, saying that they want it back.

U.S. Sent “Weather” Balloons To Spy On China And The Soviet Union In The 1950s

Group 2 recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, S.C., Feb. 5, 2023. U.S. fighter aircraft under U.S. Northern Command authority engaged and brought down the balloon within sovereign U.S. airspace and over U.S. territorial waters on Feb. 4. Active-duty, Reserve, National Guard and civilian personnel planned and executed the operation, and partners from the Coast Guard, Federal Aviation Administration and FBI ensured public safety throughout the operation and recovery efforts. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Tyler Thompson  

The Intercept: U.S. Sent “Weather” Balloons to Spy on China and the Soviet Union in the 1950s  

When caught, the Eisenhower administration lied through its teeth about it. 

For the past week, the large Chinese balloon floating over the United States has consumed the attention of the American media. 

Before the balloon was shot down by the U.S. on Saturday, China’s government stated it was a “civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological.” For its part, the Pentagon says it has “very high confidence” that the balloon was conducting surveillance.

It’s understandable that the U.S. government would be suspicious, given that America sent spy balloons exactly the same size over both the Soviet Union and China in 1956 — and made exactly the same claims as China is making today about what we were up to. 

The balloons the U.S. used were, oddly enough, manufactured by General Mills. The General Mills website describes its mission as “making food the world loves,” and it’s certainly best known today for its products like Cheerios, Chex, and Lucky Charms. But the company bragged in a 2011 blog post that it hired “the ‘daddy’ of the balloon industry,” thanks to the Aeronautical Research Division it established in 1946. (Another division of General Mills made the Alvin submarine that explored the Titanic.)  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: The U.S. has been using "spy balloons" as recent as the Afghan war .... US spy balloons hover over Afghans, causing unease (NBC).

Pentagon Will Not Name The Official Who Falsely Claimed Chinese Balloons Occurred During The Trump Administration

Legal Insurrection: Pentagon Won’t Name Official Who Divulged Misleading Info About Chinese Spy Balloons During Trump Admin  

This is unbelievable. Transparency, you guys. 

The senior official said on Saturday:  

PRC [People’s Republic of China] government surveillance balloons transited the continental United States briefly at least three times during the prior administration and once that we know of at the beginning of this administration, but never for this duration of time. We spoke directly with Chinese officials through multiple channels, but rather than address their intrusion into our airspace, the PRC put out an explanation that lacked any credibility. 

The media and Democrats ate it up. During his administration, Trump and his former officials, including John Bolton, denied knowledge of Chinese spy balloons. 

Officials in the Pentagon changed their story on Sunday, but honestly, they made it worse. They told the media the balloons were discovered after Trump left office.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: If the Pentagon is not willing to name this official, it tells me that this person must have a very high rank and/or be a high official appointed by the Biden administration.

China's Secret Spy Balloon Base Is Located On Remote And Heavily Militarized Island

Yulin Naval Base on Hainan Island, where the country's balloon program is based out of  

Daily Mail: REVEALED: China's secret spy balloon base is located on remote and heavily militarized island - as Beijing officials 'refuse to speak to US defense secretary after balloon was downed' 

 * The Chinese spy balloon shot down over US airspace was one of 'dozens' 

 * The balloons are a 'massive part' of China's elaborate espionage programs 

 * Chinese officials have not spoken to US counterparts since the destruction 

The Chinese spy balloon that was shot down by a US fighter jet off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday was the product of a factory based out of a naval base on a remote island in the Communist nation, it has been revealed. 

A new report from the Washington Post details that the airship, which triggered a dramatic, and public, spying saga that worsened Chinese-U.S. relations, has been a key part of Beijing's intelligence operations for years. 

The report says that the Chinese military has previously sent balloons into the airspace of geopolitical rivals such as Japan, India and the Philippines.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: A lot of details have become public on China's "balloon program". See below for some of them.

 More News On China's Spy Balloon Program  

Chinese balloon part of worldwide fleet, US officials say -- BBC  

China Sends Spy Balloons Over Military Sites Worldwide, U.S. Officials Say -- New York Times  

Beijing BUSTED! US intelligence confirms Chinese spy balloon WAS part of global surveillance operation to collect information on military sites across the world -- Daily Mail  

Spy balloon part of a broader Chinese military surveillance operation, US intel sources say -- CNN  

Chinese balloons have been spotted over 5 continents as part of wider surveillance program -- CBS  

U.S. briefed 40 nations on China spy balloon incident, diplomats and official say -- Reuters  

See image of a Chinese balloon hovering over Taiwan -- CNN 

Japan says it is exchanging information on China spy balloon with US -- Hindustan Times

 Chinese spy balloon over the US: An aerospace expert explains how the balloons work and what they can see -- The Conversation

Spy Balloons Become Part Of The Afghanistan Landscape

In Kabul, Afghanistan, daily life unfolded under the watchful gaze of an aerial surveillance balloon tethered at a military base. Bryan Denton for The New York Times

Spy Balloons Become Part of the Afghanistan Landscape, Stirring Unease -- New York Times

KABUL, Afghanistan — The traders crouched beneath the walls of an old fort, hunkered down with the sheep and goats as they talked, eyes nervously flitting up from time to time at the blimp that has become their constant overseer.

“It is there every day except the days when it is windy and rainy,” said Suleman, 45, who goes by only one name.

“It watches us day and night,” said another trader, Mir Akbar, 18, his eyes following the balloon as its nose swiveled with the wind from east to west.

“I notice it all the time,” said Rahmat Shah, 28, a secondhand car seller, who was standing slightly aside from the other men. “I know there is a camera in it.”

Read more ....

My Comment: The Afghan's should not feel that they are being specifically targeted .... some believe that it will only be a matter of time before Americans in the U.S. are also being watched.