U.S. military shoots down suspected Chinese surveillance balloon

US forces shot down a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that had been flying across the country for days on Saturday.

In a statement on Saturday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said U.S. fighter jets assigned to the U.S. Northern Command successfully lowered the balloon at the direction of President Joe Biden. Lloyd said the balloons were being used by the People’s Republic of China “to monitor strategic locations in the mainland United States.”

Biden on Wednesday gave permission to lower the balloon as soon as possible “without undue risk to the lives of Americans below the balloon’s path,” Lloyd said.

“In accordance with the President’s direction, the Department of Defense has developed options for safely lowering the balloon over territorial waters while closely monitoring the balloon’s path and intelligence gathering activities,” he said in a statement.

Television footage shows the high-altitude balloon, estimated to be the size of three school buses, explodes in a small explosion before falling into the water. Authorities will attempt to retrieve the debris, according to NBC News.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced a ground stop in parts of North Carolina and South Carolina, closing additional airspace Saturday afternoon. Departures were suspended “to support the Department of Defense’s national security efforts,” a representative told CNBC. FAA said on Twitter.

Biden He broke his silence on the balloon for the first time on Saturday, telling reporters “we’re going to take care of it”. But he said he wanted to wait until it was as safe as possible.

“They shot it down successfully, and I want to salute the aviators who did it,” Mr. Biden said. “And we’ll have to report on this a little later.”

The balloon was first spotted Wednesday over Billings, Montana. A defense official said the Pentagon considered shooting down the balloon earlier this week, but decided against it after briefing Biden. The decision was made in consultation with senior leaders, including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

Biden concluded that the United States would not shoot down the balloon because debris from the balloon could cause damage to the ground, Pentagon officials said. Moreover, the information collected by balloons has a “limited added value” compared to Chinese spy satellites.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday that balloons civil weather airship It was intended for off-course scientific research. It described the incident as a result of “force majeure,” which it is not responsible for.

This claim was promptly dismissed by US authorities. A senior Pentagon official told reporters Thursday night that the object was a surveillance balloon that had apparently flown over the classified site to gather classified information.

“While we have expressed China’s regret, the presence of this balloon in our airspace is a clear violation of our sovereignty and international law and it is unacceptable that this has happened,” the official said. Stated.

Due to the balloon’s existence, Secretary of State Anthony Brinken postpone indefinitely It was supposed to be an already tense trip to China on Friday.

The visit was intended to enhance communication and cooperation between the two countries as tensions rise over China’s increasing military attacks on Taiwan and a closer alliance with the Russian president. Vladimir Putin.

Instead, Blinken told Wang Yi, director of China’s Central Foreign Affairs Administration, in a phone call on Friday that the ballooning was “an irresponsible act and a clear violation of U.S. sovereignty and international law that undermines the purpose of travel.” Said.. Read aloud of the discussion.

— CNBC’s Christina Wilkie and Amanda Macias contributed to this report