The United States government is monitoring a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that has been moving over northern states over the past several days.
Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a briefing on Thursday afternoon that the U.S. government has detected a high altitude surveillance ballon over the continental United States.
"The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now. The U.S. government to include Norad, continues to track and monitor it closely. The balloon is currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground. Instances of this kind of balloon activity have been observed previously over the past several years. Once the balloon was detected, the US government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information," Ryder said.
A senior defense official said that the U.S. government is "confident" that the surveillance balloon belongs to the People's Republic of China.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
