US claims downed Chinese balloon had tools to pick up electronic communications

14 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The US government has claimed that the Chinese balloon, from which sensors have been recovered from the Atlantic Ocean, had tools to collect electronic communications.

The US authorities have specified that the US Army sent spy planes from the Cold War era to track and study the suspected Chinese spy balloon before it was shot down, The New York Times reported.

According to the conclusions of the Biden Administration, this type of balloon has flown over more than 40 countries on five continents. In addition, they would be manufactured by one or several companies that officially sell products to the Chinese Armed Forces.

Investigators from the Department of Defense, the FBI and other agencies in the country continue to examine the remains that the US Navy has removed from the waters off the coast of North Carolina, where the body of the balloon fell and which was delivered this Monday.

Investigators believe most of the electronic components are scattered on the ocean floor, according to FBI officials, who have said knowing exactly what kind of communications information the balloon could pick up is a top priority.

The researchers are also looking to see if any of the equipment on the globe uses US technology or technology from other Western companies, according to the aforementioned newspaper.

The balloon spent several days flying over US and Canadian territory before Joe Biden ordered its demolition on February 4, a move that has strained relations between the two countries.