For the last several days, a suspected Chinese spy balloon was seen drifting across the U.S. coast. The balloon was shot down by U.S. fighter jets this afternoon.
Flights halted in the process but resumed shortly after. “We successfully took it down, and I want to compliment our aviators who did it,” President Joe Biden said.
The Size Of The Chinese Spy Balloon
The F-22 fighter jet shot down the balloon, allegedly the size of three school buses, with a single missile around 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.
President Joe Biden Requested To Not Shot Down The Balloon Earlier This Week
Per the president’s request, the military didn’t shoot down the balloon earlier this week. The Pentagon recommended waiting for the object to drift over open water. Pentagon planned it this way to protect civilians from debris.
No One Faced Injuries In The Process
According to a defense official, no one, including military personnel, commercial airplanes, or maritime vessels, faced injuries.
Potential Key Elements Found Among Debris?
Another senior U.S. military official said it took only one AIM-9X supersonic, heat-seeking, air-to-air missile to destroy the balloon.
The jet shot the spy balloon down around six nautical miles off the U.S. coast. Officials said they hoped to recover key elements of the foreign surveillance equipment among the debris shortly.
A couple of F-22 raptors were circling the balloon before it turned into a poof of smoke. It likely landed in the Atlantic Ocean, drifting down from tens of thousands of feet.
Flights Halted Due To “National Security Effort”
The government had to halt flights in and out of South Carolina airports — including Wilmington, Myrtle Beach, and Charleston. The jet shot the balloon down shortly after, but before this event, individuals also got notifications of a “national security effort.” The flights then carried on Saturday afternoon.
Written by Vhannah | Instagram | YouTube
Edited by Nikita Serdiuk
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