U.S. officials released additional information regarding the capabilities of the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that flew over the U.S. last week.
In addition, officials explained what they've learned about the alleged global spying operation conducted by the Chinese government utilizing a fleet of high-altitude monitoring balloons.
On Thursday, a senior State Department official stated that the balloon was "capable of conducting signals intelligence collection operations" and was part of a fleet that had flown over "more than 40 countries across five continents."
According to the official, the Biden administration has determined that the Chinese balloon was equipped with electronic surveillance devices capable of monitoring U.S. communications.
"We know the PRC used these balloons for surveillance," the official said. "High-resolution imagery from U-2 flybys revealed that the high-altitude balloon was capable of conducting signals intelligence collection operations."
Signals intelligence is information obtained by electronic means, such as communications and radars.
The FBI has begun the preliminary phases of assessing the recovered bits of the balloon that have been transported to the FBI laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, according to top FBI officials on Thursday.
One official stated that FBI analysts have only received evidence that was on the surface of the water, including "the canopy itself, the wiring, and a very small amount of electronics." The official stated that analysts have not yet seen the "payload," which is where the "lion's share" of devices is expected to be located.
The officials noted that understanding the balloon's components is crucial intelligence and might be "important pieces of evidence for future criminal charges that could be brought."
In spite of the most recent discoveries regarding the capabilities of the spy balloon, the Pentagon has maintained since the vessel was initially revealed publicly that it does not provide China with additional capabilities beyond those already possessed by spy satellites and other ways.
The Biden officials told Congress that the purpose for the balloon's journey across the U.S. remains unclear, prompting Secretary of State Antony Blinken to postpone his trip to China.
According to individuals familiar with the briefing, lawmakers were informed Thursday that the order to send the balloon was issued without Chinese President Xi Jinping's knowledge.
The assumption that Xi was uninformed of the balloon "is the working theory and an ongoing intelligence gap," a source with knowledge of the situation said, according to CNN. The source said this is among the intelligence community's active projects, although the assessment is far from conclusive.
