Chinese spy balloon spotted hanging over Montana: Pentagon

Fox News reports Brigadier General Pat Ryder said on Thursday, "The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now. The U.S. government to include Norad, continues to track and monitor it closely."

OPD reports that a senior defense official speaking on the condition of anonymity told Pentagon reporters that the US. has 'very high confidence' it is a Chinese high-altitude balloon and it was flying over sensitive sites to collect information."

Malmstrom Air Force Base is located in Montant and houses one of the nation's three nuclear missile silo fields.

"The balloon is currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground. Instances of this kind of balloon activity have been observed previously over the past several years," Ryder said.

"Once the balloon was detected, the US government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information."

CNN reports the US military said on Thursday that they decided not to shoot down the balloon for fear it could harm innocent bystanders as it fell to the ground.