Surfside Beach, South Carolina – On Saturday, a US military fighter jet shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina. The balloon had entered US airspace a week prior, igniting a public spying scandal that further strained the already tense relations between the US and China.
President Biden announced that he had issued an order to take down the balloon on Wednesday, but the Pentagon had recommended waiting until it could be done over open water in order to protect civilians from falling debris. The F-22 fighter jet from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia was able to successfully shoot down the balloon using a single AIM-9X supersonic, heat-seeking, air-to-air missile.
China swiftly condemned the military strike on the airship, which it claimed was used for meteorological and scientific purposes and had accidentally strayed into US airspace. The US dismissed these claims and stated that the balloon was shot down about six nautical miles off the US coast in relatively shallow water, potentially aiding in the recovery of the Chinese surveillance equipment.
Before the shootdown, the US government temporarily halted flights in and out of three airports in South Carolina due to national security efforts. The shootdown concludes the military aspect of the spying saga, but President Biden is expected to face political criticism from Republican opponents in Congress who argue that he was too slow to act.
The US government spoke directly with China and briefed its allies and partners after the shootdown. The impact of the balloon on US national security is still being evaluated, with one senior US defense official stating that it was not likely to provide significant new information compared to other Chinese intelligence capabilities, such as satellites in low-Earth orbit.
The Pentagon believes that the balloon was part of a fleet of Chinese spy balloons and that another such balloon was flying over Latin America. In the past, Chinese balloons have been spotted over multiple continents, including Asia, South Asia, and Europe.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken was forced to postpone his scheduled visit to China due to the suspected spy balloon, potentially hindering efforts to stabilize the increasingly hostile relationship between the two countries. China is eager for a stable relationship with the US so that it can focus on its struggling economy.
