On February 4, a U.S. Air Force F-22 shot down the suspected Chinese spy balloon that flew over sensitive military installations on the U.S. mainland.
As stated by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) on February 2, the object had been flying over the U.S. mainland and had been tracked since then. The balloon, supposedly Chinese, was traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic.
General Glen VanHerck, Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, issued the following statement:
“At the direction of the President of the United States and with the full support of the Government of Canada, United States fighter aircraft under U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) authority successfully brought down the PRC’s high altitude surveillance balloon at 2:39 p.m. EST, Feb. 4, 2023.
In accordance with the President’s direction, the military brought down the balloon within sovereign U.S. airspace and over U.S. territorial waters to protect civilians while maximizing our ability to recover the payload.
American and Canadian personnel from all three North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) regions tracked the surveillance balloon, and USNORTHCOM’s U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy service components integrated to successfully down the balloon and are working to recover the balloon and payload.
Active duty, Reserve, National Guard, and civilian personnel planned and executed the operation, and partners from the U.S. Coast Guard, Federal Aviation Administration, and Federal Bureau of Investigation ensured public safety throughout the operation and recovery efforts.
Our U.S. Navy component is currently conducting recovery operations, with the U.S. Coast Guard assisting in securing the area and maintaining public safety.
I am proud of the exceptional professionalism the NORAD and USNORTHCOM team displayed throughout this operation, and the dedication they bring every day to defending our homelands.”
The shoot down
According to the Pentagon, the Chinese-origin intelligence balloon was flying at an altitude of 60,000 to 65,000 feet over U.S. territorial waters when it was shot down by the AIM-9X Sidewinder missile fired by an F-22 from the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia.
Audio from FRANK01 (Langley AFB F-22) calling, “SPASH ONE”confirming to “HUNTRESS” (Eastern Air Defense Sector “EADS”) that the #ChineseSpyBallon is completely destroyed off the coast of South Carolina today 😎
*Big thanks to 📷Brett728 for sharing pics and 🕵️♀️ for the audio! pic.twitter.com/8tfZeyeNAy— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) February 5, 2023
The Chinese spy balloon landed about 10 kilometers offshore, at a depth of 47 feet (14.3 meters). The US. Navy is working on its recovery for further analysis of its intelligence equipment.
F-15 Eagles flying from Barnes Air National Guard Base, Massachusetts, supported the F-22, as did air tankers from several states including Oregon, Montana, South Carolina and North Carolina. Canadian forces also helped track the balloon’s overflight.
The Navy has deployed the destroyer USS Oscar Austin, the cruiser USS Philippine Sea and the USS Carter Hall, an amphibious landing ship, in support of the recovery operation.
Missing weather balloon?
Although Chinese officials admitted that the balloon was theirs, they said it was a weather balloon that strayed off course.
Chinese Spy Balloon in HD pic.twitter.com/FKbiVqn2aw
— Lt. Aldo Braine (@PeasantProf) February 5, 2023
However, U.S. officials maintain that this claim is false, and that it was a spy balloon, which was deliberately sent to fly over and collect surveillance information on Canadian and U.S. military installations.
