Photos show Navy recovering Chinese balloon shot down over South Carolina

The US Navy on Tuesday released photos showing its sailors recovering parts of a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that was shot down on Saturday off Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

The balloon, which was about the size of three school buses, drifted across the United States for several days at an altitude of about 60,000 feet before an F-22 fighter jet fired it with a missile at the off the coast of South Carolina. President Joe Biden said he asked the Pentagon on Wednesday to shoot down the balloon, but was advised to wait until the balloon was in an area where falling debris could potentially hit objects. people.

The Pentagon said the balloon was carrying sensors and monitoring equipment, but China maintained the balloon was used primarily for weather research and was derailed by high winds.

On Sunday, sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recovered the device. The Navy released several photos of the operation.

The Department of Defense said in a statement that suspected spy balloons from China had already passed over the United States three times during the administration of President Donald Trump, but no action was taken.