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U.S. Shoots Down Chinese Spy Balloon

Chinese spy balloon
The balloon was shot down by military jets off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday. | Image by ABC News

The United States military shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon over the Atlantic Saturday.

The balloon was shot down by military jets off the coast of South Carolina Saturday afternoon, according to a Department of Defense news release.

“This afternoon, at the direction of President Biden, U.S. fighter aircraft assigned to U.S. Northern Command successfully brought down the high altitude surveillance balloon launched by and belonging to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) over the water off the coast of South Carolina in U.S. airspace,” the release states.

The balloon was being used by the People’s Republic of China in an effort to survey confidential and strategic sights in the U.S.

President Biden gave the authorization to shoot down the balloon on Wednesday, according to the release.

Video of fighter jets shooting the balloon down could be seen online, and the video has been shared throughout social media.

U.S. military officials discussed where to bring the balloon down and decided it was better to shoot the surveillance balloon down over U.S. waters.

The Canadian government worked in conjunction with the U.S. government to track and bring the spy balloon down. The U.S. and Canada tracked the balloon across North America using NORAD.

Speaking to Fox News, a U.S. government official said that the government can potentially salvage the balloon.

A spokesperson for the PRC told U.S. officials that the balloon is a “civilian airship” being used for meteorological purposes and deviated from its planned course.

“The airship is from China. It is a civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological, purposes,” the spokesperson said. “Affected by the Westerlies and with limited self-steering capability, the airship deviated far from its planned course.”

The Pentagon did not believe the statement.

The Dallas Express contacted the office of Ted Cruz, the Department of Defense, and the People’s Republic of China’s U.S. Embassy in Washington D.C. for comment; however, no comment was made at the time of the deadline.

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9 Comments

  1. thecooter

    Um, if the President gave orders to shoot down the spy balloon on Wednesday, why was there such a delay?

    Reply
    • Lyndsay

      There was a delay bc this prez first said when he heard there was a spy balloon over the US that he didn’t shoot it down bc it may hurt people below. What an ignorant statement! No leadership whatsoever. Be afraid, be very afraid people!!!!

      Reply
    • Pap

      Dems are always slow to respond to danger because of their rose-colored attitude. Remember when an American ship had been attacked by pirates and they had taken the Captain hostage? Obama sat on his ass for 3 days discussing it with his lawyers before he finally sent out Navy Seals to shoot those pirates and retrieve the Captain. I remember that later the news showed the crew celebrating the return of their Captain. They thanked the Navy Seals and America, but not once did they thank Obama. You can bet Trump would have sent the Seals out immediately.

      I also remember one of the times Obummer was campaigning, he was asked what he thought was most important about being President. He answered that he thought being Commander-in-chief was the most important. What a joke.

      Reply
  2. Bret

    The balloon sent all of its spying documentation home and then we shot it down after it was done spying. All if this is planned by our Chinese controlled government.

    Reply
  3. Val

    Who confirmed it was a “spy ship” if it hasn’t been salvaged yet?

    Reply
  4. Gordon

    What an accomplishment! They shot down a balloon spying on the US after days of delay. This should show China who is boss

    Reply
  5. sense

    Shooting down the balloon immediately negates analyzing exactly what telemetry it is sending back. Watching it and seeing the data stream and how it changes over various areas is far more valuable. Once you have expended that extraction, then you shoot it down, recover it and then look inside it. From that point you can decide whether you will make the balloon lie with ECM or blind it, or others. Then there is our propaganda value of having the thing float around showing the incompetence and molding public opinion. Just like the fools that say – BIDEN IS A COMMUNIST HE SHOULD HAVE SHOT IT DOWN IMMEDIATELY. You are the same kind of fool that thinks the CIA, NSA, FBI and other agencies do nothing. Put away the politics. Look at the value.

    Reply
  6. Monte Mcdearmon

    the president is a 100 percent COWARD!!!

    Reply
    • Janet

      Which one do you refer to? The present one who shot the balloon down in a safe area, where it could be recovered and analyzed, or the previous one who did nothing under similar circumstances.

      Reply

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