US Navy Successfully Recovers Suspected Chinese Surveillance Balloon off Coast of South Carolina

The US Navy released photos Tuesday of its sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recovering parts of a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The balloon, which was approximately the size of three school buses, had been drifting across the US over several days at an altitude of about 60,000 feet before an F-22 fighter jet shot it with a missile. US officials had been tracking the balloon for several days before President Joe Biden asked the Pentagon Wednesday to shoot it down.

The Navy’s recovery effort was successful and the balloon was retrieved from the Atlantic Ocean. The Navy did not provide any details on what the balloon was carrying or why it was shot down.

The incident has raised questions about the US military’s use of force against foreign surveillance balloons, as well as the potential for a new arms race in the skies. The US has long been concerned about the use of high-altitude surveillance balloons by foreign nations, and the Pentagon has been developing countermeasures to protect US airspace.

The US Navy’s recovery of the suspected Chinese spy balloon is a reminder of the importance of protecting US airspace and the need to remain vigilant against foreign surveillance.