PITTSBURGH, Pa. [PTTP] — The United States Navy deflated the large surveillance object dubbed the “Chinese Spy Balloon” over the Atlantic Ocean in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Feb. 4.
The balloon was first spotted over Billings, Montana, on Feb. 1, traveling over the Malmstrom Air Force Base and floating into sensitive military space in Wyoming and Colorado. It then traveled into Canadian airspace and maneuvered to Kansas City, Missouri before making its way to the East Coast where it was met by the United States Navy.
Using two Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor Jets, the spy balloon found itself in a watery grave to the delight of tourists vacationing on the Grand Strand in South Carolina. The decision to wait to shoot down the balloon was made early after its finding, so as to protect citizens from any debris or shrapnel from the device.
After falling into the Atlantic Ocean, the Navy deployed their Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group Two Team to retrieve the balloon. The device is around 200-feet-tall, making it slightly shorter than the Statue of Liberty.
While China claims that the balloon is nothing more than a weather research device, politicians in the United States disagree, claiming that this act will further strain the relationship between the two countries.
Photo Credit Petty Officer 1st Class Tyler Thompson/US Navy
Photo Caption: “Explosive Disposal Ordinace Team 2 Pulls the Balloon from the Atlantic”