Denial and Investigation
The name of the internet provider involved in the recent incident where a Chinese spy craft was shot down by the US military off the coast of South Carolina on February 4th has not been disclosed, according to a report by NBC News. The company has denied any involvement with the spy craft and has conducted its own investigation, as well as consulting with US officials.
Transmission of High-Bandwidth Data
US officials have revealed that the spy craft utilized high-bandwidth data collections, specifically burst transmissions, to transmit information. These transmissions were intercepted and analyzed by the US military. Furthermore, the Biden administration sought a highly secretive order from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to collect intelligence on the spy craft as it traveled over multiple states.
Use of Commercial Internet Providers as Backup Networks
Officials mentioned in the report that China has a history of covertly utilizing commercial internet providers in various countries as backup communication networks. These encrypted networks are sought after for their security features. The Chinese embassy’s spokesperson, Liu Pengyu, insisted that the craft was a weather balloon that had drifted off-course due to meteorological factors.
Attempts to Conceal Information
Despite officials assuring the American public that the spy balloon did not collect or transmit data, an undisclosed phone call between President Biden’s top military adviser, Gen. Mark Milley, and NORAD chief Gen. Glen VanHerck has shed new light on the incident. NBC News reports that the administration initially intended to keep the existence of the balloon a secret from Congress and the public, according to multiple former and current administration and congressional officials. However, a senior Biden administration official denied allegations of an attempted cover-up, stating that decisions were made to protect sensitive intelligence capabilities.
Neither the office of the Director of National Intelligence nor the White House or Chinese Embassy provided comment when reached out to by Fox News Digital.
Contributor: Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, Fox News Digital