Page 53 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - February 2023 Edition
P. 53
China Spying on Malmstrom AFB, Montana 53
Could the China ‘spy’
balloon be linked to
Montana’s nuclear missile
sites?
A suspected Chinese spy ballon was
traveling over a number of sensitive sites
in the US, a defence official has said,
triggering speculation its location and
route could be linked to Montana’s
nuclear missile sites.
A Pentagon official told a press briefing
in Washington DC the suspected balloon
had been spotted over Billings, Montana,
on Wednesday.
down the balloon if ordered to by the read. “Affected by the Westerlies and
It had first flown over the Aleutian White House. with limited self-steering capability, the
Islands, through Canada, and into airship deviated far from its planned
Montana. The Pentagon ultimately recommended course.
against it, saying that even as the balloon
The official said the balloon – which was over a sparsely populated area of “The Chinese side regrets the unintended
China confirmed responsibility for – was Montana, its size would create a entry of the airship into US airspace due
still over the US but declined to say dangerously large debris field. to force majeure. The Chinese side will
where it is now, Reuters said. Officials continue communicating with the US
said steps had been taken to “protect China initially reacted to reports of the side and properly handle this unexpected
against the collection of sensitive balloon on Friday morning by saying it situation caused by force majeure.”
information”. was looking into those reports and urging
officials in Washington to remain calm as At a press briefing on Friday, Brig Gen
Montana has long been the location for Beijing had “no intention of violating the Ryder flatly rejected Beijing’s claims that
some of the US’s nuclear arsenal and is territory and airspace of any sovereign the airship was a meteorological research
home to one of three known major country”. ballon.
nuclear missile silo fields. The other two
are in Wyoming and North Dakota. “China is a responsible country and has He said the US was continuing to weigh
always strictly abided by international its options and described the airship’s
The Air Force at Malmstrom maintains laws, and China has no intention of presence as an “unacceptable” violation
150 intercontinental ballistic missile silos violating the territory and airspace of any of US airspace.
across its 13,800-square-mile complex in sovereign country,” foreign ministry
central Montana, according to the spokesperson Mao Ning said. “We are aware of the (People’s Republic
Pentagon. “Speculation and hype are not conducive of China) statement. However, the fact is,
until the facts are clear.” we know that it’s a surveillance balloon.”
“Clearly the intent of this balloon is for
surveillance,” the official, briefing Without denying the reports, the He said the balloon was moving eastward
reporters anonymously, said on Thursday. spokesperson added: “As for the balloon, over the centre of the United States at an
as I’ve mentioned just now, we are altitude of 60,000 feet on Friday.
Brig Gen Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon press looking into and verifying the situation
secretary, said in a statement: “[The and hope that both sides can handle this He refused to give precise details about
balloon] currently traveling at an altitude together calmly and carefully.” the airship’s location, adding: “The
well above commercial air traffic and public certainly has the ability to look up
does not present a military or physical The top official also said politicians and in the sky and see where the balloon is.”
threat to people on the ground.” the public should withhold judgement
“before we have a clear understanding of
He added: “Instances of this kind of the facts” about the spy balloon sightings. (Continued on Page 54)
balloon activity have been observed
previously over the past several years. In a subsequent statement, the foreign
Once the balloon was detected, the US ministry claimed the balloon is a “civilian
government acted immediately to protect airship” that had blown off course due to
against the collection of sensitive wind.
information.”
“The airship is from China. It is a civilian
Reports said the US did scramble fighter airship used for research, mainly
jets, including F-22s, to potentially shoot meteorological, purposes,” the statement
