Chinese Spy Balloon Gathered Intel From Sensitive US Military Sites, Relayed Back To Beijing: Report

US officials have so far dismissed any significant effect of the balloon on national security. The Chinese government, on the other hand, has denied that the balloon was a spy vessel.

The Chinese spy balloon flies above in Charlotte NC, United States, on February 4, 2023 ( Image Source :Getty Images )

American media outlet NBC News on Monday reported a Chinese high-altitude balloon that flew across the United States was able to collect intelligence from several US military sites. The collected data was transmitted to Beijing in real time despite efforts by the Biden administration to prevent the same, the report stated. 

The balloon, which made multiple passes over a few military sites, was shot down on Feb. 4. It was able to fly in a figure-eight formation, and could send the information it collected to Beijing in real time.

US military officials told NBC that the intelligence gathered by China was secured mostly from electronic signals. These signals, they said, can be picked up from weapons systems or electronic communication channels from bases. They are unlikely to contain images. Both US and China are yet to issue a clarification over the NBC report.

US officials have so far dismissed any significant effect of the balloon on national security. The Chinese government, on the other hand, has denied that the balloon was a government spy vessel, claiming that it was part of a scientific mission.

The balloon flew over the US and Canada for more than a week early in February, before being brought down off the Atlantic Coast. Soon after the incident, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken deferred his visit to Beijing. This further strained the already troubled relations between the two countries.

The balloon incident raised several questions on national security and prompted the US military to look for other objects in the skies that might have been missed by radar. The Joe Biden administration said that it had successfully brought to an end the efforts off South Carolina to recover the sensors and other debris from the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon.