[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] On the 4th (local time), the U.S. government deployed multiple military assets, including F-22 stealth fighters, to shoot down a Chinese reconnaissance balloon that entered its airspace over the sea.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin issued a statement saying, "This afternoon, under the direction of President Biden, a fighter jet from the U.S. Northern Command successfully shot down a high-altitude reconnaissance balloon sent and owned by China over the airspace off the coast of South Carolina." He added, "The balloon used by China to monitor strategic facilities on the U.S. mainland was shot down in our territorial waters."
A senior Defense Department official explained during a briefing that the balloon, which was at an altitude of about 60,000 to 65,000 feet (approximately 18 to 20 km), was shot down at 2:39 p.m. by an F-22 stealth fighter that took off from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia using a single AIM-9 air-to-air missile. The balloon was at about 60,000 feet (approximately 18,000 meters) altitude, and after a small explosion, the balloon was seen falling at the site.
Several military aircraft participated in the operation, including F-15 fighters from the Massachusetts National Guard and aerial refueling aircraft dispatched from Oregon, Montana, Massachusetts, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Naval destroyers, cruisers, and amphibious assault ships were on standby at sea to recover debris.
President Joe Biden also said, "We successfully removed the reconnaissance balloon, and I want to commend our pilots."
The Department of Defense plans to recover all objects of intelligence value, including the balloon debris and reconnaissance equipment, in cooperation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The U.S. government detected the balloon entering U.S. airspace on the 28th of last month and considered shooting it down when it reached the airspace over Montana, where intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) silos are located, on the 1st of this month. However, they did not immediately shoot it down, anticipating damage from debris falling to the ground.
The U.S. government is investigating the possibility that the balloon entered U.S. airspace and collected major security information. Meanwhile, the Chinese government claims that the balloon, which the U.S. announced as a reconnaissance balloon, was a civilian airship mainly used for meteorological observation that lost control and entered U.S. airspace.
The U.S. government considered shooting down the balloon when it reached the airspace over Montana, where ICBM silos are located, on the 1st of this month but abandoned the plan due to concerns about ground damage from balloon debris.
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