The Pentagon has announced that most of the wreckage from the Chinese surveillance balloon shot down over South Carolina has been recovered, along with surveillance cameras, solar panels, and other equipment.
The announcement was accompanied by the release of a never-before-seen photo of the balloon taken from the cockpit of a military jet:
According to Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh:
“The majority of the balloon, including the payload, was recovered.”
The balloon was shot down by U.S. military fighter jets on February 4th, and China claimed it was a civilian research craft blown off course by winds. According to officials, the payload on board the balloon was massive, and recovery efforts were able to retrieve most of it.
However, China has disputed the claim that the balloon was used for surveillance purposes, insisting that it was only a research craft. The U.S. military has admitted that the three objects shot down likely had a “benign purpose” and were detected after the military set its radar system to detect slow-moving balloons.
The photo released by the Department of Defense was taken on February 3rd by one of the U-2 pilots and shows a U.S. Air Force pilot looking down at the suspect Chinese surveillance balloon as it hovered over the central continental U.S. This release comes amidst growing tensions between the U.S. and China, particularly in the areas of military technology and national security.
The recovery of the technology from the downed balloon highlights the potential risks of foreign surveillance and espionage, particularly as advances in technology allow for more sophisticated methods of data collection. As such, the U.S. government is likely to continue to prioritize efforts to protect its national security interests from foreign surveillance and espionage.
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LOL…yes, after it was able to get all the information they wanted. Worthless Joe Bidfuck!
LOL…yes, after it was able to get all the information they wanted.