The Chinese spy balloon that transited the United States, soaring over a number of sensitive military installations, did not collect any significant intelligence information, the Pentagon state, according to CNN, with officials crediting unspecified countermeasures taken by military officials for the probe’s lack of success.
“We believe that it did not collect while it was transiting the United States or flying over the United States, and certainly the efforts that we made contributed,” Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said. The military collected the debris after the balloon was shot down off the coast of South Carolina on February 4th, and technicians continue analyzing the wreckage to determine if it was transmitting information back to China.
Referring to a Wall Street Journal report that some of the parts found in the debris were manufactured in the United States, Ryder responded, “We are aware in previous cases, for example, things like drones and other capabilities … where off the shelf, commercial US components have been used.”