In February 2023, powerful winds pushed a Chinese weather balloon off course and into U.S. airspace.[1] The balloon was first seen over Montana on February 1 before being shot down on February 4 off the coast of South Carolina.[2]
Shootdown
U.S. fighter jets shot down the balloon on February 4 off the coast of South Carolina. Between February 10 and 12, the military shot down three civilian balloons worth $12 to $180 each. The military spent over $2 million shooting down a hobbyist balloon over Lake Huron.[2]
Spying allegations
The U.S. government and its media initially claimed that the balloon was spying on the United States.[1] CNN said the incident, "could be a defining moment in the new Cold War."[3] The Pentagon called the balloon a "maneuverable Chinese surveillance balloon."[4] NATO ruler Jens Stoltenberg even said it was a threat to other Western governments.[5]
Debunking
In June 2023, Brigadier General Pat Ryder admitted that the balloon was not spying. In September 2023, the Pentagon released a report showing that the balloon was not spying and did not intentionally cross over the United States. After the Navy recovered the balloon's remains from the Atlantic Ocean, it found that its sensors were deactivated while it was above the continental United States.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Ben Norton (2023-09-20). "Chinese balloon was not spying, US gov’t admits months after manufactured crisis" Geopolitical Economy Report. Archived from the original on 2023-10-01.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ben Norton (2023-02-18). "US admits weather pushed Chinese balloon off course, US shot down hobbyists’ $12 balloon in $2M missile attack" Geopolitical Economy Report. Archived from the original on 2023-10-01.
- ↑ Stephen Collinson (2023-02-06). "Why the Chinese balloon crisis could be a defining moment in the new Cold War" CNN. Archived from the original on 2023-05-22.
- ↑ David Vergun (2023-02-03). "General Says Chinese Surveillance Balloon Now Over Center of U.S." U.S. Department of Defense. Archived from the original on 2023-09-30.
- ↑ Amanda Macias (2023-02-08). "Spy balloon confirms ‘pattern of Chinese behavior’ that poses threat to NATO members, Stoltenberg says" CNBC. Archived from the original on 2023-10-01.