Navy divers are scouring the US coast looking for the wreckage of an alleged Chinese spy balloon shot down yesterday (February 4).
Restoration work began shortly after the balloon crashed into the water near South Carolina, according to US Department of Defense officials.
Shortly after the balloon was shot down by American fighters, a Navy ship, along with other Navy and Coast Guard ships, arrived on the scene. The newspaper “New York Times reports.
Former US military commander General Mike Mullen said the wreckage would be located relatively soon so that experts could analyze the balloon’s equipment.
The balloon’s opening on Wednesday sparked a diplomatic row between the two countries, and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken immediately canceled his trip to China this weekend.
The US alleges that the alleged spy device flew over secret military installations.
General Mullen, former chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he believes the balloons may have been launched by the Chinese military on purpose to disrupt Blinken’s trip to China.
“It was not an accident. It was intentional. It was intelligence,” he added.
After the balloon hit the water, the debris field stretched for at least 7 miles and was 14 feet deep, according to US officials.
US officials said the balloon’s journey across the country has given experts several days to analyze it, gather technical data and learn a lot about what it does, how it does it and why China might use such devices.
They declined to give details, but said they expected to learn more when they collected and examined the wreckage.
Before the balloon was launched, China claimed that it was being used for scientific and meteorological purposes and regretted throwing it off course.
Following the downing of a US military aircraft, the Chinese Foreign Ministry threatened to take action against the US.
It stated that it would “strongly defend” the rights and interests of the company operating the balloon, and reserved the right to “make additional comments as needed.”
Source: I News
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