China’s dispatch of a suspected surveillance balloon over the United States earlier this year is likely to be repeated, the nominee to lead the Pentagon’s Northern Command told Congress on Wednesday.
Air Force Lt. Gen. Gregory M. Guillot, who also would head the North American Aerospace Defense Command, made the assessment in answer to policy questions asked by the Senate Armed Services Committee.
“The PRC will likely make similar attempts in the future to gather sensitive information that might provide a competitive advantage, including flight over sites that are critical to homeland defense,” Gen. Guillot stated, using the acronym for People’s Republic of China. “The keys to mitigating the PRC surveillance balloon threat are shared intelligence, improved domain awareness and streamlined information-sharing.”
The general’s comments contrast with those of Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who on a recent visit to Beijing told Chinese officials that the disruption of U.S.-China relations caused by the balloon’s transit was a chapter that had been closed.
The surveillance balloon, which officials in Beijing asserted was an errant weather balloon that had been blown off course, was shot down by a missile fired by an F-22 jet off the coast of South Carolina. Prior to the destruction, however, the balloon transited sensitive military sites across the U.S. homeland, including a missile defense base in Alaska and nuclear missile fields and bomber bases in the north-central U.S. Current Northern Command chief Air Force Gen. Glen VanHerck said last week that the balloon flight exposed important shortcomings in the military’s ability to monitor airborne threats.
Following the February downing of the Chinese balloon, the U.S. military shot down three other aerial vehicles that were later determined to be non-threatening, privately owned aerial vessels.
Gen. Guillot, asked at the hearing whether another aircraft like the balloon flies into U.S. airspace should be shot down, told lawmakers, “I absolutely believe we should shoot down [an aircraft] if it’s demonstrated a hostile act or hostile intent.”
Gen. VanHerck told NBC News July 20 that American surveillance capabilities have been bolstered using new technology.
Asked by the Senate about measures to counter Chinese spy balloons, Gen. Guillot said protecting air sovereignty would be “the cornerstone” of Northcom’s mission if he were to be confirmed.
“I will aggressively execute all of the authorities and [rules of engagement] necessary for maintaining air sovereignty of the U.S.,” the general told lawmakers
New procedures will involve early detection of spy balloons, rapid decision-making at the command and then relaying options for a response quickly to senior civilian and military leaders.
The maneuvering Chinese balloon flew at a high altitude of around 60,000 feet, in what is considered near space. The system, operated by the Chinese military’s Strategic Support Force, is viewed as a low-cost surveillance system that is less expensive than using spy satellites.
The balloon was tracked by U.S. intelligence agencies from a Chinese launch site in Southeast Asia.
President Biden was criticized for allowing the balloon to transit the United States unhindered. Mr. Biden said he wanted to take the balloon brought down earlier but held off on the advice of Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley for fear of civilian casualties on the ground — even though much of the route of the balloon was over rural areas with few residents.
The balloon’s intrusion was also not acknowledged by the Pentagon until a news photographer in Montana snapped a picture of the balloon. The disclosure temporarily scuttled a visit to China by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was set to launch a new conciliatory policy toward Beijing. Mr. Blinken finally made the delayed trip last month, telling his Chinese hosts of the balloon incident, “that chapter should be closed.”
But the Chinese operation also set off a wave of criticism of Beijing in Congress that has yet to subside. During Wednesday’s hearing, Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker, the ranking Republican on the Armed Services Committee, said the Biden administration has failed to answer all the questions posed by the panel on the incident.
• Bill Gertz can be reached at bgertz@washingtontimes.com.
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