USA TODAY International Edition
Lawmaker says China balloon flew over missile, nuclear sites
Turner says incident highlights security gaps
China’s high- altitude surveillance balloon maneuvered over sensitive U. S. missile and nuclear weapons sites in addition to ones in Montana passed over before being shot down off the South Carolina coast Saturday, House Intelligence Committee chairman Mike Turner said.
“If you take the path that this balloon did, and you put up an X every place where you have a missile defense site, actual nuclear weapons infrastructure, you’re going to follow this path,” Turner, R- Ohio, said in a briefing with reporters Tuesday. “So I think the natural conclusion is, it is intelligence- gathering with respect to try to affect in some way the command and control of our missile defense and nuclear weapons.”
Turner did not elaborate or share other details about the investigation into China’s balloon, in some cases citing classified information. But he said the U. S. intelligence community is scheduled to brief him and other members of congressional leadership on the balloon and efforts to gain any intelligence from its recovery.
The incident led Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel a planned trip to Beijing last week. Meanwhile, China won’t take Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s calls, according to Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary.
On Saturday, “immediately after taking action to down the PRC ( People’s Republic of China) balloon, the DOD submitted a request for a secure call between Secretary Austin and PRC Minister of National Defense Wei Fenghe,” Ryder said in a statement. “We believe in the importance of maintaining open lines of communication between the United States and the PRC in order to responsibly manage the relationship. Lines between our militaries are particularly important in moments like this. Unfortunately, the PRC has declined our request. Our commitment to open lines of communication will continue.”
Turner said Tuesday that the balloon’s journey across the U. S. – including past Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls, Montana – highlights not only the fear of intelligence gaps on what the U. S. knows about China’s intentions and capabilities but also “actually what those gaps can mean in real security threats.”
“And that doesn’t just mean spy balloons or even surveillance,” Turner said. “It can also mean an actual threat to our country that these gaps could penetrate.”
The Pentagon referred to a background briefing Thursday by a senior defense official when asked about Turner’s remarks.
In that briefing, the defense official was asked whether the balloon was trying to collect intelligence on siloed nuclear weapons in Montana. “Yes, so clearly the intent of this balloon is for surveillance,” the official said. “And so the current flight path does carry it over a number of sensitive sites.”
A Turner spokesperson said Tuesday that the congressman could not comment further on the specifics of where the balloon traveled and what it surveilled but referred to remarks Turner made on NBC’s “Meet the Press With Chuck Todd” on Sunday.
On that show, Turner criticized the Biden administration for waiting too long to shoot down the balloon, describing it as “sort of like tackling the quarterback after the game is over.”
“The satellite had completed its mission. This should never have been allowed to enter the United States, and it never should have been allowed to complete its mission.”