and conventional and long-range
rockets for U.S. Provided.
Additional information on the
security package can be found on
defense.gov.
In regards to our announcement
last night regarding the high
altitude surveillance balloon,
I'm not going to have much new
information to provide other
than to say the North American
aerospace defense command
continues to monitor it closely.
While we won't get into
specifics in regards to the
exact location, I can tell you
that balloon continues to move
eastward an is currently over
the center of the continental
United States.
Again, we currently assess that
balloon does not present a
military or physical threat to
people on the ground at this
time, and we'll continue to
monitor and review options.
Finally, secretary Austin will
host a bilateral meeting today
here in the Pentagon with
Australian deputy prime minister
and minister of defense Richard
morals.
Looks forward to discussing
bilateral defense cooperation
and mutual security efforts
within the indo-pacific and
beyond.
A full readout we'll post later
today to defense.gov.
We'll move to your questions and
start with ap.
>> Hi, pat.
Thank you for doing this.
China has said this is just a
weather balloon that has veered
off course.
Why is the Pentagon convinced
this is a surveillance balloon
and then, can you give us a
little bit more on the status of
the balloon?
You said it's in the central --
central U.S.
What state?
Do you have any guidance for
people as they see this balloon
or trying to photograph it or
try to interfere with it?
>> Thanks, Tara.
First of all we are aware of the
prc's statement.
However, the fact is, we know
that it's a surveillance
balloon, and I'm not going to be
able to be more specific than
that.
We know that balloon has
violated U.S. Air space and
international law which is
unacceptable and we've conveyed
this directly to the prc at
multiple levels, and in terms of
specific locations, I'm not
going to be able to go into
specific locations, again, other
than to say it's moving eastward
at this time.
>> You had a follow-up?
>> Follow-up on as people start
to see the balloon, do you have
any guidance?
Should they try not to interfere
or photograph?
>> So the balloon is currently
assessed to be at about 60,000
feet, so again, well above the
range of civilian air traffic or
where civilian air traffic would
normally fly.
Certainly aware that there are
cameras, you know, civilian
owned commercial cameras that
could spot this balloon in terms
of guidance to folks, again,
this is something that norad is
closely monitoring.
We do assess at this time that
it's not pose a physical threat
as I mentioned to people on the
ground.
Jennifer?
>> General Ryder, who is
controlling this balloon right
now?
>> Again, we know that this is a
Chinese balloon but beyond that
I will not have specifics.
>> You say it's moving east ward
and over the continent U.S., not
over Montana anymore.
Is the Chinese government
controlling the movement of the
balloon or is it just floating
with air streams?
>> Thanks, Jennifer.
I'm not going to go into any
specific intelligence we may
have.
Again, we know this is a Chinese
balloon and that it has the
ability to maneuver, but I'll
leave it at that.
>> Once it's over a body of
water, will you shoot it down?
>> Again, right now we're
monitoring the situation
closely, reviewing option, but
beyond that I'm not going to
have any additional information.
We go to Tony.
>> One quick on the balloon, can
you confirm the photos that are
out there that this is not the
man in the moon and that is the
actual balloon?
>> Thanks, Tony.
Certainly aware of photos being
posted online.
I'm not going to get into the
business of confirming whether
or not those are, you know,
where those photo comes from.
Again, I can tell you that U.S.
Government, norad, is monitoring
this closely and we will
continue to review options.
>> How close was the U.S. To
ordering -- was the president to
ordering a shoot down of the
balloon?
>> Again, I'm not going to get
into discussions, internal
discussions, within the white
house again.
Right now we assess that there
is no threat, physical threat or
military threat, to people on
the ground.
We're continuing to monitor, you
know, and we'll leave it at
that.
Thank you.
>> Thanks.
I have two questions.
In response to secretary
Austin's recent remarks that
more U.S. Has started -- when it
comes to South Korea, north
Korea want stronger provocations
in the near future.
What is your comment?
>> Well, certainly not
surprising given North Korea's
track record of making bellicose
statements again.
What we're focused on is
preserving peace, security and
stability in the indo-pacific
region.
Secretary Austin's visit was an
opportunity to reaffirm our
strong and close alliance with
the republic of Korea and so
that will remain our focus.
Working with South Korea and
other nations in the region to
deter aggression and ensure a
free and open indo-pacific.
>> South Korea has announced it
will be past the high powered
ballistic missile with a nuclear
warhead.
A defense against North Korea's
nuclear warhead, how do you
greet this?
>> I'm sorry.
I missed the first part of your
question.
>> South Korea has announced
the -- that it will be a test a
high-powered monster ballistic
missile with a war -- nuclear
warhead.
This is the --
>> Yeah.
I don't have anything on that.
I would refer you to the
government of South Korea.
I'll come back over here.
>> Thank you very much.
Two questions on the Chinese
government.
So -- this balloon flew over
Japanese air space before
reaching the U.S. Continental
U.S., can you confirm that?
>> I've seen those press
reports.
Again, as we acknowledged in our
statement that we posted last
night, we have seen this type of
balloon activity elsewhere
before, but again, I'm not going
to get into intelligence, and
I'm not going to have any
further information to provide.
>> Secondly, how will this
incident affect the secretary's
future engagement with Chinese
counterpart to maintain the open
lines of communication?
>> I think we've been very clear
that we're always open to
maintaining an open line of
communication with the prc and
in that regard nothing has
changed.
Nothing.
To Phil and then come over.
>> The position of the balloon
classified?
>> Phil, right now what we're
not going to do is get to an
hour by hour location of the
balloon.
Again, we're monitoring it
closely.
As I mentioned right now, it's
over the center of the
continental United States.
That's about as specific as I'm
going to get.
>> I understand it might be
inconvenient but does the public
not have a right to know.
>> The public has the ability to
look up in the sky and see where
the balloon is.
Thank you.
>> General, you said balloon is
maneuverable.
So does that mean that it's not
drifting?
>> So the balloon is
maneuverable.
Clearly it's violated U.S. Air
space and again, we've
communicated that fact to the
prc.
>> If possible, can you tell us
if the balloon, when it entered
the U.S. Air space, has it
changed its course in any way?
>> The balloon has changed its
course, which is why we're
monitoring it.
That's as specific as I can get.
Thank you.
To Matt.
>> You said at this point the
balloon doesn't pose risk to
citizens.
How is it that the U.S. Can
assess that, given that balloon
is at such an altitude without
actually getting eyes on it up
close and assessing the
equipment that's on board?
Secondly, are there any
alternatives considered to
shooting it down or options to
take the balloon out of the sky
intact to get a better look at
that equipment?
>> Yeah.
So again, this is a surveillance
balloon, you know, operating at
about 60,000 feet.
Clearly, you know, we did a he
very close assessment in terms
of what it's doing and, as I
mentioned, military commanders
have assessed that there is no
physical or military threat to
people on the ground.
And so in that regard, we'll
continue to monitor it.
In terms of way ahead, we will
continue to review options, but
I'm not going to have anything
further to provide on that.
Thank you.
Matt?
>> Thank you, pat.
You said this is violating our
air space, so why not take it
down in?
>> Yeah.
As we assess options and
considering the size of the
payload on this, looking at the
potential for debris and the
impact on civilians on the
ground or property damage,
again, running through the
various factors and looking at
in terms of does it pose a
potential risk to people while
in the air and right now as I
mentioned we assess that it does
not pose a risk to people on the
ground, as it currently is
traversing the continental
United States.
And so out of an abundance of
caution, cognizant of the