MONTANA, USA — According to online flight trackers, three KC-135 Stratotankers took off from Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane County, circled Montana for a while, and, as of 4:30 p.m., were on their way back to Spokane.
The U.S. is currently tracking a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon seen over U.S. airspace for the last few days. Officials say the Pentagon has decided not to shoot it down due to risks of harm to people on the ground.
A senior defense official told Pentagon reporters that the U.S. has “very high confidence” it is a Chinese high-altitude balloon flying over sensitive sites to collect information. One of the places the balloon was spotted was Montana, which is home to one of the nation’s three nuclear missile silo fields at Malmstrom Air Force Base. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information.
The official added that similar balloon activity has been seen in the past several years and that the U.S. took steps to ensure it did not collect sensitive information.
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte issued the following statement on his Twitter account:
"I received an informational briefing yesterday on the situation involving a suspected Chinese spy balloon flying over Montana.
From the spy balloon to the Chinese Communist Party spying on Americans through TikTok to CCP-linked companies buying American farmland. I'm deeply troubled by the constant stream of alarming development for our national security."
Billings Logan International Airport Assistant Director of Aviation and Transit Shane Ketterling, in Montana, sent the following statement:
"On Wednesday, Feb. 1, a Ground Stop was issued that stretched from Helena to Billings and it lasted approximately two hours from around 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
The Ground Stop happened mid-afternoon when Billings Logan International Airport has very few flights. A total of three flights experienced delays; two inbound flights were diverted and arrived in Billings late, and an outbound United Airlines flight was also delayed. Since the Ground Stop was lifted, there have not been any more issues or delays.
We have read articles identifying an object in the sky as a spy balloon from China, but we do not have any comment on the balloon, or comment on photos/videos captured over Billings."
Please return to KREM 2 for the latest updates on this developing story.
DOWNLOAD THE KREM SMARTPHONE APP
DOWNLOAD FOR IPHONE HERE | DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID HERE
HOW TO ADD THE KREM+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KREM in the Channel Store.
Fire TV: search for "KREM" to find the free app to add to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email webspokane@krem.com.