High-altitude surveillance balloons have been detected by authorities in both the United States and Canada, prompting coordinated military and intelligence responses.
One of the balloons was observed over sensitive U.S. national security sites, including Malmstrom Air Force Base, which houses 150 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles. The Pentagon has attributed that balloon to China. Beijing has not accepted responsibility, stating it is investigating the matter and urging that the situation be handled “calmly and carefully.”
F-22 fighters were dispatched from Nellis Air Force Base, but U.S. officials decided against shooting the balloon down because of concerns about damage and danger from falling debris. Instead, steps were taken on the ground to protect sensitive facilities. U.S. authorities assessed that the balloon’s reconnaissance capabilities likely offered limited additional intelligence beyond what China could gather from low-Earth-orbit satellites.
NORAD and U.S. Northern Command statement on the high-altitude surveillance balloon. pic.twitter.com/NyALmVqJ9k
— U.S. Northern Command (@USNorthernCmd) February 3, 2023
Canadian authorities also detected a high-altitude surveillance balloon over Canadian territory and said they are actively tracking its movements.
In a statement, the Canadian Armed Forces said:
“A high-altitude surveillance balloon was detected and its movements are being actively tracked by NORAD.”
“Canadians are safe and Canada is taking steps to ensure the security of its airspace, including the monitoring of a potential second incident.”
“NORAD, the Canadian Armed Forces, the Department of National Defence, and other partners have been assessing the situation and working in close coordination.”
“Canada’s intelligence agencies are working with American partners and continue to take all necessary measures to safeguard Canada’s sensitive information from foreign intelligence threats.”
“We remain in frequent contact with our American allies as the situation develops.”
Canadian officials have not publicly attributed the balloon spotted over Canada to any nation.
The sightings came days before a planned visit to Beijing by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, a trip many observers hoped would ease tensions between the two powers. The U.S. State Department summoned China’s chargé d’affaires in Washington, Xu Xueyuan, to deliver a “clear and stark message” about the incident. At the time of initial reporting, the State Department had not confirmed whether Blinken’s trip would proceed.
Update: Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed his planned trip to Beijing following the detection of the balloon over U.S. territory. China characterizes the device as used for “meteorological and other scientific research.”
(Photo by Daniel Kunz on Unsplash)
Note: The presence of these high-altitude surveillance balloons has led to heightened coordination between NORAD, U.S. and Canadian armed forces, and intelligence agencies to monitor airspace and protect sensitive sites while seeking diplomatic clarification.