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U.S. tracked China spy balloon from launch on Hainan Island along unusual path
Source: Washington Post
By the time a Chinese spy balloon crossed into American airspace late last month, U.S. military and intelligence agencies had been tracking it for nearly a week, watching as it lifted off from its home base on Hainan Island near Chinas south coast.
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U.S. monitors watched as the balloon settled into a flight path that would appear to have taken it over the U.S. territory of Guam. But somewhere along that easterly route, the craft took an unexpected northern turn, according to several U.S. officials, who said that analysts are now examining the possibility that China didnt intend to penetrate the American heartland with its airborne surveillance device.
The balloon floated over Alaskas Aleutian Islands thousands of miles away from Guam, then drifted over Canada, where it encountered strong winds that appear to have pushed the balloon south into the continental United States, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive intelligence. A U.S. fighter jet shot the balloon down off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4, a week after it crossed over Alaska.
This new account suggests that the ensuing international crisis that has ratcheted up tensions between Washington and Beijing may have been at least partly the result of a mistake.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/02/14/china-spy-balloon-path-tracking-weather/
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U.S. monitors watched as the balloon settled into a flight path that would appear to have taken it over the U.S. territory of Guam. But somewhere along that easterly route, the craft took an unexpected northern turn, according to several U.S. officials, who said that analysts are now examining the possibility that China didnt intend to penetrate the American heartland with its airborne surveillance device.
The balloon floated over Alaskas Aleutian Islands thousands of miles away from Guam, then drifted over Canada, where it encountered strong winds that appear to have pushed the balloon south into the continental United States, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive intelligence. A U.S. fighter jet shot the balloon down off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4, a week after it crossed over Alaska.
This new account suggests that the ensuing international crisis that has ratcheted up tensions between Washington and Beijing may have been at least partly the result of a mistake.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/02/14/china-spy-balloon-path-tracking-weather/
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U.S. tracked China spy balloon from launch on Hainan Island along unusual path (Original Post)
brooklynite
Feb 2023
OP
It seems like China could give us an "Oops, sorry" in order to defuse tension.
Midnight Writer
Feb 2023
#3
BootinUp
(47,186 posts)1. Makes far more sense than
The conspiracy theories launched by tin foil hatters.
republianmushroom
(13,677 posts)2. good
Midnight Writer
(21,795 posts)3. It seems like China could give us an "Oops, sorry" in order to defuse tension.
A reasonable and confirmable explanation could go a long way.
Martin68
(22,877 posts)4. If China thinks they are ready to be a world poster, they should be big enough to admit it was a spy
balloon and that it was blown off course. If that's what actually happened. Making a big fuss about the US shooting down a balloon in their own airspace is absurd.