The Chinese spy balloon is goneindeed an F-22 fighter jet has destroyed China’s spy balloon this Saturday (February 4) with a Sidewinder missiletaking him out with a single blow, at least according to US military officials.
The Chinese spy balloon was over the Atlantic Ocean at the time, just off the coast of South Carolina, and he was flying at an altitude of 18,300 to 19,800 meters (60,000 feet to 65,000 feet), while theF-22 was at about 17,700 meters (58,000 feet), wrote the United States Department of Defense (DOD) in an update on the situationalways on Saturday.
To get an idea of the altitude at which all this was happening, know that commercial airliners fly at an average altitude of about 35,000 feet (10,700 meters).
The U.S. military first detected the Chinese spy balloon on Jan. 28 when it entered national airspace near Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, according to the DOD update, with the blimp sailing from Alaska to Canada, then back to the United States over Idaho, then continuing to move southeast over the heartland.
Wednesday (February 1), President Joe Biden has ordered the military to eliminate the Chinese spy balloon as soon as this action could be taken safely, without endangering anyone on the ground, again according to the DOD update, and that opportunity came on Saturday when China’s spy balloon left the mainland over Palmetto State.
What happened to the remains of the Chinese spy balloon?
The remains of the airship fell about 10 kilometers (6 miles) off the coast of South Carolina, in water about 14 meters (47 feet) deep, with the shallow water expected to allow at least some debris to be recovered, the analysis of which could reveal details of Chinese surveillance technologymilitary officials said.
“I would also like to note that while we have taken all necessary steps to protect ourselves from the PRC surveillance balloon’s collection of sensitive intelligence, the surveillance balloon’s overflight of US territory has been of intelligence value”
said a senior defense official anonymously in the DOD update (PRC stands for “People’s Republic of China”).
“I can’t go into more detail, but we were able to carefully study and examine the balloon and its equipment [in volo]which was invaluable”
the official added.
Chinese officials have apologized for the airship raidwhich consisted of a pylon equipped with solar panels suspended under a large white balloon, the same they also stated that it was a harmless weather study aircraft which was accidentally lost in US airspace, at the mercy of the winds, however the anonymous DOD official is not convinced by these claims, he states:
“This was a PRC surveillance balloon. This surveillance balloon purposely flew across the United States and Canada and we are confident it was trying to monitor sensitive military sites.”
The official also said Chinese balloons have flown over parts of the continental United States at least three times during the administration of Biden’s predecessor as president, Donald Trump.
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