A week after the United States military shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon, officials revealed the balloon was able to intercept communications signals..According to a senior State Department official, the balloon had multiple antennas that were capable of "intelligence collection operations." The official claimed China has a large fleet of spy balloons that have targeted more than 40 countries..The balloon, which was about 60-metres tall, was outfitted with large solar panels that operated "multiple active intelligence collection sensors," as well as antennas that could collect and geolocate communications..Last Saturday, a US military jet shot down the balloon as it floated off the coast of South Carolina. The US coast guard later recovered the debris..Over the course of a week, the balloon made its way over South Korea and Japan, before entering Alaska and drifting across Canada and the United States. Shortly after entering US airspace, US fighter jets investigated the balloon and determined it wasn't fitted with any weapons, but was equipped with high-resolutions cameras..READ MORE: BALLOONING TENSIONS: China threatens retaliation after US shoots down spy balloon.China denied the balloon was being used to spy, claiming it was merely a civilian airship being used for research purposes that had blown off course.."The US in insisting on the use of force is an obvious overreaction and a serious violation of international practice," said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs last Sunday..Around that same time, the Colombian air force said they monitored a similar balloon flying over their country. The country tracked the balloon until it exited its airspace..On Thursday, US House of Representatives lawmakers voted 419 to 0 to condemn the balloon, calling it a "brazen violation of United States sovereignty.".Meanwhile, a high-ranking Chinese diplomat called for the balloon to be returned to China..“If a person picks up something on the street and knows who the owner is, he should return it to the owner,” said China’s ambassador to France, Lu Shaye..Shaye reiterated the balloon was being used for research purposes..“[These balloons] are very common,” he said, claiming “it's not uncommon to see American spy balloons, or balloons used for other purposes.”.Shaye said when American spy balloons entered Chinese airspace, Lu claimed local officials have “played it low-key, without hype.”.Back in 1952, the United States sent spy balloons over the Soviet Union and China.
