Following the downing of a giant Chinese balloon off the US coast, two smaller objects firing over Alaska and Canada, concerns about North American security have grown – and relations with China have come under further strain.
Here’s what we know so far:
– What were the three things? ,
The drama began in late January, when a giant Chinese balloon — dubbed a spy craft by US officials — drifted through US skies for several days before being shot down on February 4 by an F-22 jet off the South Carolina coast. China insisted that the balloon was conducting weather research.
The Pentagon said it has a gondola that is the size of three buses and weighs more than a ton; It was equipped with multiple antennas, and had solar panels large enough to power several intelligence-gathering sensors.
Then on Friday, US fighters downed another object over northern Alaska, the military said, that was “within US sovereign airspace over US territorial waters.” Officials said it had no system of propulsion or control.
On Saturday, a US F-22 jet acting on orders from the US and Canada downed a “high-altitude aerial object” over Canada’s central Yukon Territory, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the US border , saying that it is a danger to us. civil flight. Canada described it as cylindrical and smaller than the early balloons. Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand would not speculate on whether it originated in China.
US Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, who was briefed by the Biden administration after the latest incident, said on Sunday that the latter two objects were likely balloons, “but much smaller than the first one,” both at about 40,000 feet ( were flying at an altitude of 12,200 metres). ,
Officials found two new objects about the size of a Volkswagen Beetle.
– What has been recovered? ,
Military crews, working from planes, boats and minisubs, were scouring the shallow waters off South Carolina, and military images showed the recovery of a large piece of the balloon. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is taking the wreckage into custody for analysis.
Operations are underway to recover the second object on the sea ice near Deadhorse, Alaska. “Arctic weather conditions including wind chill, snow and limited daylight are a factor,” the military said.
Anand said on Saturday that recovery teams with the help of a Canadian CP-140 patrol aircraft were searching for debris from the third object in the Yukon.
The Pentagon said the FBI is working closely with Canadian police.
– What was the purpose of the items? ,
US officials say earlier images of the balloon show it carried surveillance equipment that could intercept telecommunications. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that its purpose was to “survey strategic sites in the continental United States”.
Michael Mullen, a former chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, suggested that China, or some of its military leadership, intentionally sought to cancel the impending visit of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The United States has said the balloons were part of a “fleet” that spanned five continents. Some analysts say it could be the start of a major Chinese surveillance effort targeting foreign military capabilities ahead of potentially intensifying tensions over Taiwan in the coming years.
– Why so many items now? ,
Analysts said US and Canadian intelligence agencies constantly receive large amounts of raw data, and some are typically scrutinized to focus on the threat of incoming missiles, not slow-moving ones like balloons. on objects.
“Now, of course, we’re looking for them. So I think we’re probably looking for more stuff,” Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, told NBC.
Officials have said three balloons are now known to have been briefly overinflated during Donald Trump’s administration – undetermined at the time – and one earlier in Joe Biden’s term.
On Saturday, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) scrambled fighter jets to investigate a “radar anomaly” over Montana, but no related objects were found.
– What is the impact on US-China relations? ,
The United States canceled Blinken’s visit in an effort to stabilize severely strained relations and sanctioned six Chinese entities supporting military spy balloon programs.
Beijing had earlier condemned the fall of the balloon, saying it was “a serious violation of international practice.” It reserved the right to “use the necessary means to deal with similar situations”.
There has been no reaction from China on the two recent downings.
– And the domestic result? ,
Republicans attacked Biden for waiting so long to shoot down the first balloon, although on Sunday House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner said the US military had gone from “permissible” to “trigger-happy”.
Schumer defended Biden’s handling, saying ABC’s analysis of the recovered balloon’s wreckage would represent “a major coup for the United States of America”.
But Biden has faced calls from both camps to show more transparency.
Himes said, “I have a real concern about why the administration is not moving forward with what it knows.”
read all Breaking News Here
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)