In-Depth Analysis of US Hopes After Navy’s Recovery of Alleged Chinese Spy Balloon
This image provided by the US Navy shows Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recovering a high altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, SC on February 5, 2023.
This image provided by the US Navy shows Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recovering a high altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, SC on February 5, 2023. Credit – US Navy/AP
The US Navy has recovered the remains of the suspected Chinese spy balloon after it was shot down over the weekend, images released on Tuesday show.
The photos show sailors on a boat off the coast of Myrtle Beach, SC on Sunday. The deflated balloon covers part of the boat and some marks on the water.
The military shot down the balloon Saturday with a missile fired from an F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jet. The Pentagon waited several days before shooting it down to avoid potentially injuring people on the ground from falling debris.
This image provided by the US Navy shows Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recovering a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, SC, Feb. 5, 2023.US Navy/AP
The Chinese balloon had flown at about 60,000 feet over parts of the US including Montana, Idaho and Missouri. US officials said it posed no military threat but acknowledged its trajectory “took it over a number of sensitive locations.” Montana, for example, is home to the US military’s land-based, nuclear-tipped Minuteman III missile arrays.
The Chinese government has denied allegations that the balloon is intended to monitor the US, saying its purpose is for weather research.
The US will focus on learning more about the balloon’s purpose, which has been estimated to be 200 feet tall. General Glen VanHerck, commander of US Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), compared the size of the underlying payload to the size of a “regional jet”.
This image provided by the US Navy shows Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recovering a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, SC, Feb. 5, 2023.US Navy/AP
“Imagine large debris weighing hundreds if not thousands of pounds falling from the sky,” VanHerck told reporters Monday.
US officials will be looking for hazardous materials that could be used in batteries or explosives, he added.
White House National Security Spokesman John Kirby said Monday there is also a broader goal of providing more clarity on the balloons’ surveillance capabilities, as well as China’s intentions with the balloon program, amid reports that other balloons have previously may have entered US airspace.
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