The Chinese spy balloon that was shot down by American fighter jets was retrieved from the Atlantic Ocean by the U.S. Navy, with photos of the wreckage now circulating online.
An Air Force F-22 took down the Chinese aircraft with an air-to-air missile after the balloon, said to be the length of multiple buses, traversed across the continental United States after entering NORAD airspace in Alaska and then Canada.
The spy device was shot down off the coast of South Carolina at an altitude between 60,000 and 65,000 feet.
Image courtesy dave_brown24 / Twitter via Petty Officer 1st Class Tyler Thompson / US Navy / Defense Visual Information Distribution Service
The photos, taken by Petty Officer 1st Class Tyler Thompson and released through the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service, showcase an area of debris that spans the size of over a dozen football fields.
“15 football fields by 15 football fields,” said General Glen VanHerck, commander of NORAD and U.S. Northern Command.
“I would remind you that due to ocean currents, it’s possible that there may be some debris that does float ashore,” VanHerck added.
The general reportedly told the media that the balloon was around 200 feet tall, weighing several thousand pounds, with a payload the size of a “jet airliner.”
“I will tell you that certainly the intel community, along with the law enforcement community that works this under counterintelligence, will take a good look at it,” the general explained.
A second balloon was spotted over Latin America, which the Chinese government also admitted to owning, stating that the balloon was simply lost.
The Foreign Ministry spokesperson for China, Mao Ning, claimed that the unmanned aerial craft was indeed Chinese, but was only “of civilian nature and used for flight test.”
Explaining the balloon’s course and trajectory, Mao said that it was “affected by the weather and with limited self-steering capability, the airship deviated far from its planned course and entered into the airspace of Latin America and the Caribbean.”
The communist country’s representative also stated that its government reached out to proper authorities in the appropriate countries regarding the second aircraft.
“China is a responsible country and always acts in strict accordance with international law. We have informed relevant sides. It is being properly handled and will not pose any threat to any country.”
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!