US general reveals Chinese balloons have flown over the Middle East

A senior CENTCOM official said the high-altitude balloons have posed no threat to troops, and he expressed interest in obtaining similar ones to fill gaps in the United States' intelligence collection.
US sailors recover part of a Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Feb. 5.
US sailors recover part of a Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Feb. 5. - US Navy
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Jared Szuba
@JM_Szuba

WASHINGTON – Chinese high-altitude balloons have flown over the Middle East in recent years, the top commander of US Air Force units in the region confirmed today, adding that he’d like to obtain similar technology to boost the US military’s own surveillance capabilities.

Speaking to a small group of reporters in Washington on Monday, Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, who oversees the Air Force component of US Central Command (CENTCOM), recalled two or three prior incidents in which US military officials had detected balloons, which he said were Chinese, over the Middle East.

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