This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/29/chinese-spy-balloon-shot-information-biden

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
US says Chinese spy balloon downed in February did not collect information US says Chinese spy balloon downed in February did not collect information
(32 minutes later)
The craft was shot down by the US military off the Atlantic coast on the president’s orders earlier this year Craft was shot down by US military off Atlantic coast on president’s orders earlier this year
The Chinese spy balloon shot down by a US fighter jet over the Atlantic in February did not collect intelligence as it flew across the United States, the Pentagon said Thursday. The Chinese spy balloon shot down by a US fighter jet over the Atlantic in February did not collect intelligence as it flew across the United States, the Pentagon said on Thursday.
“It’s been our assessment now that it did not collect intelligence while it was transiting the United States or overflying the United States,” said Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder. “It’s been our assessment now that it did not collect intelligence while it was transiting the United States or overflying the United States,” said a Pentagon spokesman, Pat Ryder.
Ryder said the US “took steps to mitigate” intelligence collection by the balloon.Ryder said the US “took steps to mitigate” intelligence collection by the balloon.
“Certainly the efforts we made contributed” to that, Ryder said, without further explanation.“Certainly the efforts we made contributed” to that, Ryder said, without further explanation.
The huge balloon with a large payload of electronics flew over the United States from Alaska in the northwest to South Carolina in the east from late January to early February this year, crossing above sensitive military installations and prompting concerns Beijing was scooping up vital intelligence. The huge balloon with a large payload of electronics flew over the United States from Alaska in the north-west to South Carolina in the east from late January to early February this year, crossing above sensitive military installations and prompting concerns Beijing was scooping up vital intelligence.
It was shot down on 4 February just off the South Carolina coast, and was recovered from the Atlantic ocean by the US military, which has been studying its contents since. It was shot down on 4 February just off the South Carolina coast, and was recovered from the Atlantic Ocean by the US military, which has been studying its contents since.