Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Russian agency: Russia will conduct a nuclear test if the US does
Al-Nakhalah: We are the rightful owners, and we must fight to retrieve our rights
Al-Nakhalah: The enemy and its allies must know that we can never surrender to their terms and diktats after all the sacrifices made
Al-Nakhalah: The prisoner exchange clause can be completed in the next few days, and thus we will have pulled the [explosion] fuse and removed the enemy's justifications for aggression
Al-Nakhalah: The Resistance has expressed its willingness to negotiate on the basis that there are items that can be dealt with positively, the first of which is the prisoner exchange item
Al-Nakhalah: Trump's plan entails the Palestinian people's declaration of complete surrender to the enemy
PIJ Secretary-General, Ziyad al-Nakhalah, in an address aired on Al Mayadeen: The Resistance is engaging in a fierce negotiating battle under the so-called Trump plan
Russian Federation Council approves joint military cooperation agreement with Cuba
Al-Nunu: Today, the lists of prisoners required to be released, the agreed-upon criteria and numbers, were exchanged
Al-Nunu from Sharm el-Sheikh: Negotiations focused on mechanisms for implementing an end to the war, the withdrawal of occupation forces from the Gaza Strip, and the exchange of prisoners

US officials were aware of more 'Chinese spy balloons': Pentagon leaks

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 16 Apr 2023 10:54
3 Min Read

The US was aware of at least four balloons in addition to the one shot down in February, as per documents purportedly released by Jack Teixeira.

  • x
  • The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast of the US. (Reuters)
    The suspected Chinese spy balloon drifts to the ocean after being shot down off the coast of the US. (Reuters)

US authorities were aware of up to four suspected Chinese spy balloons beside the one that allegedly sailed over the US mainland and was shot down in February, as per leaked top intelligence. 

In an unreported event, one balloon allegedly passed above a US carrier strike group located in the Pacific Ocean.

The details originate from documents that, according to Jack Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts air national guard, were allegedly leaked to The Washington Post.

The South China Sea was allegedly the scene of the other balloon's collapse. According to the leaked material, US officials still had unanswered questions about the Chinese suspected "spy balloon" from February because, more than a week after it was shot down, authorities had yet to identify several of the balloon's sensors and antennas.

According to the Post, the reports don't go into detail about the exact time the balloons were launched.

Teixeira, 21, was detained on Thursday and charged with espionage on suspicion of disclosing multiple top-secret papers on a Discord chatroom.

Related News

Taiwan claims another eight Chinese balloons detected around island

China slams US claims of espionage as 'complete slander'

The recent #Pentagon leaks could be the most damaging release of US government information since the 2013 publication of thousands of documents on #WikiLeaks. pic.twitter.com/vbABFNubRY

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) April 11, 2023

In the invite-only chatroom, a lot of documents were leaked, including verbatim transcripts and secret documents that were photographed and distributed.

Some of the most sensitive leaked details are purportedly related to Ukraine's military capabilities and shortcomings, as well as information about US allies, including the Israeli occupation, South Korea and Turkey.

Leaks related to suspected Chinese balloon

The suspected balloon that was shot down is designated as "Killeen-23" in the documents that were leaked by intelligence officials.

It is unknown if the "Bulger-21" and "Accardo-21" balloons mentioned in the records were the same ones that flew over the US carrier group or crashed into the South China Sea.

The suspected spy balloons were named alphabetically, from A to Z, and after notorious criminals such as mobster Tony Accardo and Donald Killeen, according to an unnamed US intelligence official who spoke to The Washington Post.

Annotated images of Killeen-23 were also included in the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) document that was leaked. Analysts claimed that the balloon could produce enough power to run "any" surveillance system, including a radar that could see through clouds and thin material, see at night, and see through clouds and thin material.

Read next: US reaction to Chinese balloon "hysterical, absurd": Wang Yi

  • Chinese balloon
  • media leaks
  • Pentagon
  • US
  • suspected "Chinese balloon"
  • Pentagon leaks

Most Read

Tucker Carlson speaks at a memorial for Charlie Kirk, Sunday, September 21, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona (AP)

Tucker Carlson: Israeli officers gave orders on Iran inside Pentagon

  • Politics
  • 2 Oct 2025
A Hamas fighter in combat fatigues stands before the ceremony for the handover of Israeli captives to the Red Cross in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip, Saturday, February 22, 2025 (AP)

Hamas responds to Trump plan, backs Gaza withdrawal, exchange

  • Politics
  • 3 Oct 2025
Mossad’s secret role in Aldo Moro’s 1978 murder revealed

Mossad’s secret role in Aldo Moro’s 1978 murder exposed

  • Politics
  • 5 Oct 2025
Al-Quds Brigades strike a command and control center north of Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, in an undated screengrab from the al-Quds Brigades military media

Gaza resistance announces major operations against Israeli forces

  • Politics
  • 1 Oct 2025

Coverage

All
War on Gaza

Read Next

All
Retired Israeli General Brik says Israel has reached point of no return.
Politics

Retired Israeli General Brik: 'Israel has reached point of no return'

Depleted by foreign wars, US seeks to re-arm for another confrontation
Politics

Depleted by foreign wars, US seeks to re-arm for another confrontation

Gaza’s newborns gasp for life as hospitals collapse amid Israeli war
Health

Gaza newborns gasp for life, share oxygen masks amid collapsed system

UK arms exports to 'Israel' reach record high despite ban calls
Politics

UK arms exports to 'Israel' reach record high despite ban calls

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS