US Navy Collects Fragments of Chinese Spy Balloons Shot Down by Fighter Jets

US Navy Illustration Photo via @USNavy

JAKARTA - The United States military is searching for the remains of a Chinese reconnaissance balloon that their fighter jet shot down the day before. And this further complicates US-China relations.

The US Navy is working to recover the balloon and its payload. The Coast Guard is providing security for the operation, said General Glen VanHerck, commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and US Northern Command.

When all of them have been collected, AS will analyze them. The goal, the US will get new information about China's spying capabilities.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has strongly protested against the United States over the shooting down of a Chinese drone that it called a "spy balloon". The drone shooting was with President Joe Biden's approval.

Balloons that have an 'old school' impression, why are they still chosen as spies? Check out the explanation in the article Obsolete and Easily Visible Technology, Why Did China Choose Balloons for US Spying?

The Chinese side has verified the situation and communicated with the US side several times. The MFA maintains that the so-called spy balloons by the US were civilian aircraft that unexpectedly flew into US airspace.

"A spokesperson for the US Department of Defense said the balloon presented no military or physical threat to people on the ground. Nonetheless, the US reaction was so excessive as to use force to seriously violate international practice," the MFA said.

MFA will take further action to protect legitimate rights and interests in the aftermath of the shooting.

The US military fighter jet shot down the spy balloon over the waters of the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday, February 4, with the approval of US President Joe Biden.

The Chinese side issued a statement on Saturday that the drone that entered US airspace was a civilian aircraft used for research, mainly related to meteorology.