The Chinese spy balloon that was shot down appears to have the tools to collect communications and data through a satellite. Reports say that the aircraft also had multiple antennas along with other equipment used to spy on US Intelligence.
Recovery of the Balloon
After being shot led it to the Atlantic Ocean, after which it was recovered and sent to an FBI lab located in Quantico, Virginia. However, the FBI only acquired the debris that was found on the water's surface, which includes the canopy, wirings, and some electronics.
Investigators say that much of the balloon's electronics may have already scattered at the bottom of the Atlantic. US officials say that the balloon was capable of carrying a payload the size of a regional jet, so a lot may have been lost to the ocean.
There were solar panels found on the balloon, which government officials believed could power "active intelligence collection sensors." The theory could have been based on an image captured by a U-2 plane flyby, which officials claimed was capable of "collection operations."
Rep. Mike Turner, the Republican Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, pointed out that the path of the balloon, which was started in Alaska and Canada, passed through sensitive missile defense sites, nuclear weapons infrastructure, and nuclear weapon sites.
The flight pattern eventually led to an area above a nuclear missile site where the US Strategic Command was, as well as a military base that held the B-2 stealth bomber, according to Gizmodo. This escalated the tension between the US and China.
The Investigation
The Biden administration believes that the Chinese spy balloon was part of a global surveillance fleet that can collect electronic communications. Although the Chinese government insisted that it was only a meteorological machine, evidence points to the other way.
The State Department countered that the equipment on the aircraft was not something you find in a weather balloon and that it was clearly for intelligence surveillance. Biden's administration claimed that similar balloons have already flown over 40 countries on five continents.
The Pentagon, FBI, and other agencies have come together to examine the debris that was collected from the Atlantic Ocean. FBI officials stated that they were analyzing the balloon's body, wirings, and electronics, according to The New York Times.
Other officials noted that it was a top priority to find out what kinds of communications the balloon was able to collect. As for weapons, there was still no evidence that suggests that the ballon carried any.
Technology exports might be affected, as investigators are looking into the balloon's equipment to determine if it uses American or Westen tech. If that were the case, US companies may be prohibited from exporting products that can be used by Chinese military and security agencies.
Intelligence agencies noted that the antennas found in the balloon can locate communication devices like mobile phones and radios, as well as collect data from them. Phone signals could reach the height that the balloon was flying, which was 60,000 feet.
