According to a new report by NBC News, a Chinese spy balloon that flew across the United States earlier this year was able to gather intelligence from multiple sensitive American military sites despite efforts by the Biden administration to block it.
The balloon was controlled by China and maneuvered over certain military sites, sometimes in a figure-eight pattern, while transmitting gathered data back to Beijing in real-time. The intelligence collected was primarily electronic signals that could be picked up from weapons systems or base communications.
Although the Biden administration took steps to limit the balloon's ability to pick up those signals, much sensitive information was still accessed. After being shot down on February 4th using an F-22 Raptor and an AIM-9X Sidewinder missile, officials confirmed that it had been capable of collecting signals intelligence.
The self-destruct mechanism of the spy balloon could have been activated remotely by China. However, it is not clear if this didn't happen due to malfunctioning or because China decided against triggering it.
Beijing has accused the U.S. of "hyping up" concerns about its surveillance activities but maintains that their operations are lawful and legitimate. Meanwhile, U.S officials have expressed concern over China's increasing use of technology for espionage activities.
Despite these developments, neither country has made any official statements regarding this latest revelation about Chinese surveillance activities in America.