The US Navy released pictures of a suspected spy balloon from China, which it shot down on Saturday.
Recovery of Surveillance Debris
Several photos posted by the US Fleet Force Command on Facebook showed sailors recovering the high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina’s Myrtle Beach on Sunday.
The team that participated in the operation is part of the US Navy’s Expeditionary Combat Force, which specialises in clearing explosive hazards.
US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Monday that officials had recovered “some remnants off the surface of the sea” but weather conditions had not allowed “much undersea surveillance of the debris field.”
Kirby added that “in the coming days,” personnel will “get down there and take a better look at what’s on the bottom of the ocean.”
Washington’s intelligence experts will analyse the debris and do not plan on returning the remains to Beijing.
General Glen VanHerck, head of the US Northern Command, told reporters that the debris field is expected to measure “more than 15 football fields.”
He added that the balloon itself was 60 metres tall and “carried a payload weighing several thousand pounds that was roughly the size of a regional jet aircraft.”
Biden’s Comments on China
US President Joe Biden alluded to his country’s ongoing tensions with China in his 2023 State of the Union Address on Tuesday.
Biden announced that the US will take steps to modernise its military and work with allies to ensure that “advanced technologies are not used against us.” He further noted that the US is in the “strongest position in decades to compete with China or anyone else in the world.”
Out of an abundance of caution, the @DeptofDefense is asking any citizens who find debris from the balloon or missiles to avoid the debris and contact local law enforcement for the safe collection of the pieces.
— U.S. Fleet Forces (@USFleetForces) February 7, 2023
Details on the @USCG Security Zone ⬇️https://t.co/5Gb4zJYne6 https://t.co/dMCogdY8L4
Although the president highlighted that the US is “committed” to working with China, in reference to the suspected Chinese spy balloon, he stressed that, “if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country.”