Military on site - to recover the balloon wreckage

USA 

US shot down China's spy balloon - had unexpected luck 

 Of:  

Josefine Karlsson,  

Hans Österman  

Published: Today 19.38  

Updated: Less than 20 min ago 

NEWS  

Joe Biden already gave the order last Wednesday.  

On Saturday night, the Chinese spy balloon was shot down – as soon as it was over the sea.  

Now the US military is flocking to the crash site in a rescue operation that is said to be easier than expected.  

As the balloon swept over Myrtle beach and on to the ocean, it was shot down. Joe Biden gave the green light to the military already on Wednesday, but the Pentagon decided to wait until it posed no danger to people and buildings on the ground. 

The balloon was shot down with a single missile. According to CNN, it was of the AIM-9X type and was fired from one of several F-22 planes that took off from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.  

Shortly afterwards, Joe Biden stated that he already gave the order several days ago:

- Last Wednesday when I was briefed about the balloon, I ordered the Pentagon to shoot it down as soon as possible. They decided that it was best to do it after it had gone out to sea. They shot it down successfully and I want to pay tribute to our airmen who did it, he said. To a follow-up question about whether the shooting was recommended by his security adviser, Biden replied: 

- I told them to shoot it down. They replied: “Let us wait until it is in the safest place to do so. 

To be salvaged from the sea  

Right now, an effort is underway in the sea to pick up the balloon's wreckage. Several Navy and Coast Guard vessels are in the area, including the USS Carter Hall, which has a large crane on board. 

According to CNN's sources, the military was lucky. The balloon touched down in an area where it is only 14 meters deep, far less than expected. An informant therefore describes the salvage operation as "fairly easy".  

- It can go relatively quickly. I don't expect months or weeks.  

Military divers and unmanned mini-submarines will now find the balloon's remains and bring them to the surface, writes CNN.

At the same time, CBS reporter Mary Walsh states on Twitter that the wreckage was spread over a radius of just over a mile from the impact site. 

- It didn't just fall down, says a high-ranking source to the journalist. 

Flew over nuclear bases 

The balloon has eluded the United States for days before it was spotted over Montana earlier this week. Even then, the Pentagon stated that it had traveled over several sensitive military facilities, including underground nuclear silos.  

According to the CBS reporter's source, the US military has in recent days analyzed the craft closely to find out "what it was used for and how it worked". 

Photo: Brian Branch/AP  

The Sheriff to the People: "Don't Shoot"  

The balloon was seen earlier on Saturday, among other things, over York in South Carolina.  

“That's no moon. Yes, it is true that there are reports of a Chinese balloon flying over our area right now. It's flying more than 60,000 feet in the air,” the local sheriff wrote on Twitter.  

The sheriff warned the population and urged the public not to take out their weapons. 

“Don't try to shoot it!! Your weapon will NOT reach it. Be responsible. What goes up will come down, including your balls”.  

China acknowledged on Friday that the balloon belonged to them, but said it was only used to collect weather data and that it went off course due to "unexpectedly strong winds". 

The airspace over two US states has been closed. Photo: Larry Mayer/A