China says it reserves right to respond to downing of surveillance balloon
The balloon's flight over the U.S. added tension to the U.S.-China relationship.
A massive Chinese surveillance balloon that moved across the continental U.S. this week has been shot down.
The Pentagon has confirmed the balloon was being used for surveillance, disputing China's claim that it was a civilian aircraft used for meteorological purposes. Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said the balloon didn't pose a physical or military threat, and once it was detected, the U.S. took steps to protect against foreign intelligence collection of sensitive information.
The FBI is expected to take custody of any recovered components of the balloon and ship them to its lab in Quantico, Virginia, for analysis and intelligence gathering, a senior government official told ABC News.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed a planned trip to China as the balloon's presence over the continental U.S. added new tension to the U.S.-China relationship. Blinken called the balloon a "clear violation" of U.S. sovereignty and international law.
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Surveillance balloon is 'maneuverable,' Pentagon says
After saying the Chinese surveillance ballon was headed eastward, Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said the balloon is "maneuverable."
"So, the balloon is maneuverable. Clearly, it's violated U.S. air space, and again we've communicated that fact to the PRC," Ryder said.
"The balloon has changed its course, which is why we are monitoring it. That is as specific as I can get," he said, not giving further details on how it could be maneuvered.
"We continue to assess and make appropriate decisions based on how we are going to address what we perceive as a potential threat," Ryder added. "The safety and security of the American people is paramount. At this time we assess it does not pose a physical threat to people on the ground."
Pentagon confirms shooting down balloon was an 'option'
Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder confirmed Friday that shooting down the balloon was considered.
"In terms of the discussions about whether or not to shoot down this balloon, that was an option. That was something that was taken into consideration," Ryder said. "Again, because we assessed that currently it does not pose a physical or military risk to people on the ground, for now we are continuing to monitor and review options."
Ryder said because of the "size" of the balloon, "any potential debris field would be significant and potential cause civilian injuries or deaths or significant property damage."
Ryder was asked multiple times if the U.S. will shoot down the balloon once it's over a body of water.
"We are monitoring the situation closely, but beyond that I will not have any additional information," he said.
When asked how close President Joe Biden was to ordering a shootdown of the balloon, Ryder said he "will not get into internal discussions with the White House."
'We know it's a surveillance balloon,' Pentagon says, disputing China's claims
Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder disputed statements from China that the balloon spotted over the continental U.S. is a meteorological research device.
“We are aware of the PRC (People's Republic of China) statements. However, the fact is, we know it’s a surveillance balloon,” Ryder said. “I’m not going to be able to be more specific than that.”
“We do know that the balloon has violated U.S. airspace and international law, which is not acceptable,” Ryder told reporters. “We’ve conveyed this directly to the PRC at multiple levels.”
Balloon is moving eastward, now hovering over the central US
Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder provided an update Friday on where the balloon is flying.
"While we won't get into specifics in regards to the exact location I can tell you that the balloon continues to move eastward and is currently over the center of the continental United States," Ryder told reporters. "Again, we currently assess that the balloon does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground at this time."