Retired Air Force General Spills the Beans on the Chinese Spy Balloon

The Chinese spy balloon that entered U.S. airspace in February 2023 has revealed significant intelligence gaps, as retired Air Force General Glen VanHerck, former commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), shared new details about the incident.

The balloon, which sparked widespread concern, highlighted vulnerabilities in U.S. surveillance and national security measures.

The balloon, described as being the size of three buses, was first spotted over Alaska’s Aleutian Islands on January 27, 2023, before drifting over St. Matthew Island in the Bering Sea the next day.

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It entered U.S. airspace near the Canadian border, causing alarm as it passed over sensitive military sites, including Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, which houses 150 intercontinental ballistic missile silos.

VanHerck confirmed that NORAD scrambled two Raptor stealth fighters and two armed F-16s to track the balloon.

The jets had to operate at high speeds of over 400 miles per hour to remain airborne in the thin atmosphere at an altitude of 10,000 feet.

While the balloon was deemed not to pose an immediate physical threat, the decision to shoot it down required authorization from President Joe Biden.

The balloon’s path also took it near Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, home to U.S. Strategic Command, and Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, which operates B-2 bombers.

Concerns grew as the balloon lingered over these critical facilities.

VanHerck stated that NORAD was only informed of the balloon’s approach less than 24 hours before it entered U.S. airspace.

Reports have since suggested that U.S. intelligence may have tracked the balloon from its launch on Hainan Island in China but failed to provide timely updates to NORAD.

“To me, that’s a failure of the entire system — to not have the ability to let everybody know this thing’s out there and potentially going to drift into North American airspace,” VanHerck told The National Post.

“Anybody who knows about it should pass that on. It shouldn’t be less than 24 hours’ notice.”

The delay in responding raised questions about coordination between intelligence agencies and the Department of Defense.

CBS: U.S. Intelligence watched the Chinese Spy Balloon as it lifted off in China, and the U.S. Military had been tracking it for nearly a week before it entered U.S. airspace. pic.twitter.com/zkqx4PQi5b

— Te asLindsay™ (@TexasLindsay_) February 15, 2023

VanHerck also pointed out that NORAD lacked the authority to act independently without presidential approval, further complicating the decision-making process.

After public reports of the balloon surfaced, including sightings by civilians in Montana, Joe  Biden authorized its takedown.

On February 4, 2023, an Air Force F-22 Raptor fired a Sidewinder missile over the Atlantic Ocean, bringing the balloon down in a controlled manner to minimize risks to civilians and infrastructure.

BREAKING — Chinese spy balloon has been shot down by the US military pic.twitter.com/EhawJsSfES

— Election Wizard (@ElectionWiz) February 4, 2023

NASA’s analysis had suggested a debris field as large as 100 miles wide if the balloon were destroyed over land.

While the Chinese government insisted the balloon was a civilian meteorological device blown off course, the U.S. government confirmed its surveillance capabilities.

Subsequent analysis by the FBI revealed that the balloon did not transmit any intelligence to China during its flight, according to VanHerck.

“In the end, the best thing happened for the Canadian and American people. Number one, they (China) didn’t collect (intelligence), we know that for a fact. Number two, we maximized our collection, and we exposed the PRC (People’s Republic of China) and what they’re doing. And number three, and most important, the Canadian and American people were safe,” VanHerck said.

Republican Senator Tom Cotton criticized the delayed response, stating, “I think it was a bad mistake to let a Chinese spy balloon float all across America and only to leak it to The New York Times once some rancher or amateur photographer in Montana spotted it.”

VanHerck emphasized that the incident serves as a reminder of how quickly modern threats can emerge.

He noted that advanced missile systems and technologies pose new challenges for NORAD, and the balloon highlighted the importance of maintaining constant vigilance.

The Chinese balloon incident has sparked renewed debate about the readiness of U.S. defense systems and the need for improved communication between intelligence agencies and military command.

While the situation did not result in any immediate harm, it exposed critical gaps that could have serious implications for national security in the future.

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