Days after crossing the territory of the United States, a spy balloon from China was shot down this Saturday afternoon (04) by an F-22 Raptor fighter of the US Air Force (USAF). The operation involved at least two F-22s operating alongside tankers, vessels and search and rescue aircraft.
The airship arrived in North America via Alaska on January 27, entered Canadian airspace on the 30th and entered the continental US via northern Idaho the next day, at an altitude of 60 feet (18,2 km), following towards the southern United States until observed by the US National Weather Service (NWS) in Pleasant Hill, Missouri.
Tyler Schlitt of the Live Storm Chasers Facebook page has snapped probably the best picture I've seen of the Chinese spy balloon so far. pic.twitter.com/V1guUK3Xkq
— doge (@IntelDoge) February 3, 2023
Photos show the Chinese Balloon being shot down by an F-22 Raptor from Myrtle Beach, SC!
📸Me pic.twitter.com/AWSmILlRzg—Jake B (@jake_b_photo) February 4, 2023
US military confirmed that the object was a balloon coming from China, possibly for intelligence gathering (espionage). China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs later claimed responsibility for the balloon, but said the airship was used for meteorological research and was drifting, not purposely flying over the US.
Over the days, opinions on the Chinese balloon have been divided, with one side defending the shooting down of the airship, and the other asking for more caution. Anyway, the controversy only grew. On Wednesday, Washington had already confirmed that it would shoot down the balloon, but that only happened today, when the artifact reached the sea.
— 艾布拉姆斯🇺🇸💙💛 (@SuTNkwfrFkMhHsG) February 4, 2023
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A pair of F-22 Raptor fighters (the most powerful combat aircraft in the country) circled the Chinese balloon over Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. At the same time, the Federal Aviation Agency ceased operations at three airports in the region and closed part of the local airspace for 40 minutes.
ing the fighters were a pair of KC-135 tanker planes, a P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol jet and a Coast Guard HC-130 search and rescue plane, as well as Navy and Coast Guard ships awaiting the balloon's crash. for subsequent capture.
SAR C-130 flying real low off Wilmington. pic.twitter.com/Cg4Hz6K5hG
— doge (@IntelDoge) February 4, 2023
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Once the balloon was over the sea, one of the F-22s, belonging to the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force Base, fired a single AIM-9X Sidewinder missile at the balloon, which fell into the water.
“The felling took place at the first available opportunity to do so without threatening those on the ground.” The operation, watched by many on the ground, also marks the first Raptor kill.
AWESOME video snagged from Real Photoholic on Instagram, balloon go poof. pic.twitter.com/u0EjYyfdos
— doge (@IntelDoge) February 4, 2023
According to US officials, the Chinese balloon shot down this afternoon reached 65 feet, and was shot down at 58 feet. Debris fell into water 14 meters deep, much shallower than expected. Now the Navy, Coast Guard and FBI are working to recover the balloon's remains. Speaking to Reuters, a US military source said the Chinese balloon's debris field was spread over about 11 km.
“This is not the only surveillance balloon operating in the western hemisphere, with another operating in South and Central America as part of a fleet under the direction of the People's Liberation Army on five continents”, said US officials quoted by the portal The War Zone.
Chinese spy balloon shot down over Cackackly Fish Co. Myrtle Beach South Carolina #ChineseSpyBalloon pic.twitter.com/5wuxrzznbY
— Grant Conversano (@grantconversano) February 4, 2023
