A Chinese spy balloon shot down off the South Carolina coast in 2023 carried technology from at least five American companies, a new report reveals.
The discovery, based on a classified U.S. military analysis, raises serious concerns about how American-made technology ended up in the hands of China’s surveillance program.
The 200-foot-tall balloon, initially dismissed by Beijing as a weather research airship that had drifted off course, was equipped with advanced surveillance gear, including satellite communication modules, sensors, and reconnaissance equipment.
Some of this technology, housed in a foam cooler, was traced back to five U.S. firms: Texas Instruments, Omega Engineering, Amphenol All Sensors Corp., Onsemi, and Virginia-based Iridium. Additionally, components from Swiss manufacturer STMicroelectronics were also found among the recovered debris.
One of the most notable pieces of technology recovered from the balloon was the Iridium 9602, a short-burst messaging module that enables global satellite communication. Iridium, headquartered near CIA headquarters in McLean, Virginia, said it was unaware of how its product ended up in the spy balloon, emphasizing that its modules are widely available and can be used for various applications, including wildlife tracking.
Jordan Hassim, the company’s executive director for communications, stated that Iridium does not condone the misuse of its technology and would work with the U.S. government if necessary to disable it.
The U.S. military report also suggested that the balloon could have been capable of conducting extensive surveillance, potentially gathering intelligence on American soil. The craft reportedly had the ability to survey, take photographs, and collect detailed data. Some sources even suggested it may have been designed to deploy smaller gliders for reconnaissance missions.
The design of the balloon reportedly matched a 2022 patent from China’s Academy of Sciences Aerospace Information Innovation Research Institute, which has ties to the Chinese military.
The revelation that American-made components were used in China’s surveillance operations has sparked concerns about how such technology ends up in the hands of foreign adversaries.
The equipment in question appears to have been obtained through commercial channels, as many of these components are widely available for purchase. The incident highlights a growing challenge in preventing U.S. technology from being exploited for foreign intelligence operations.
Despite the findings, China continues to insist that the balloon was a civilian airship conducting meteorological research and that its incursion into U.S. airspace was accidental.
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington reiterated Beijing’s position, stating that the airship had limited self-steering capability and was carried off course by strong winds.
The spy balloon incident, which captured national attention in 2023, prompted sharp criticism of the Biden administration for its response. Many questioned why the balloon was allowed to traverse U.S. airspace from Alaska to the East Coast before being shot down over the Atlantic.
The new findings add another layer of controversy, raising questions about national security vulnerabilities and the unintended role of American technology in foreign surveillance efforts.