The Pentagon affirmed this Friday that the "spy balloon" Chinese go on flying over USA and that it is moving in an easterly direction, after yesterday reporting that it had been sighted in Montana, in the northwest of the country.
The Pentagon spokesman, General Pat Ryder, specified in a press conference that the balloon is 6,000 feet from the surface (1,828 meters) above the center of the continental United States.
"The globe has changed its trajectory"indicated Ryder without wanting to go into detail about its exact location and noting that "It is probable" to fly over the country for a few "few days". He explained that the airship is "maneuverable" and that under his surveillance device he has a storage space large load, the content of which he did not specify.
Although they have concluded that at the moment it does not pose a threat, the US spokesman stressed that the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) follow his movements "close up".
"Military commanders have assessed that there is no physical or military threat to people on the surface."remarked the general, although they will continue to monitor their movements and review "the options" available.
The US has decided not to destroy the device because it does not present a danger at the moment and because of the fear that the fall of its debris could be dangerous for the surface. Ryder insisted that it is a device of "surveillance" and not, as China has said, a balloon "civilian used for research purposesmainly meteorological". He claimed that as soon as he was detected they acted "immediately" to prevent you from collecting information "sensitive". The US confirmed on Thursday that the device was flying over Montana, a northwestern US state that is home to one of three existing nuclear missile silo fields on US soil. The other two atomic silo fields are located in two states bordering Montana: North Dakota to the east and Wyoming to the south.