Rough seas complicate US efforts to recover suspected Chinese spy balloon

On Monday, Navy ships were off the coast of South Carolina to search for parts of a suspected Chinese reconnaissance balloon shot down over the weekend, although the head of US Northern Command said it was initially hampered by swell.

The US Navy landing craft Carter Hall is near where the hot air balloon splashed down after President Biden ordered the US military to shoot down the air object that had been floating over the country for several days, General Glen VanHurke said. reporters.

The ship is currently collecting and classifying the debris, while the oceanographic research vessel USNS Pathfinder is mapping the balloon debris field, which is predicted to be about 1,500 meters by 1,500 meters, or “more than 15 football fields by 15 football fields” , he said.

With the military concerned that the material in the balloon could contain explosives or be dangerous, an explosive ordnance disposal team arrived on the scene Monday morning. The force deployed unmanned underwater vehicles with side-scan sonar to further locate the sunken wreckage, VanHerk said.

Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Navy’s Criminal Investigation Service are also working with US forces on rescue missions, though VanHerck can’t say where the wreckage will be sent for final analysis.

He added that rough seas on Sunday limited some rescue efforts, such as underwater surveillance, and that ocean currents could cause some debris to wash ashore. If this happens, he asked the public to avoid contact with any debris and contact local law enforcement if they find it.

Earlier Monday, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters it would take time to restore the balloon, but “then we can use what we’ve found and learn even more than we’ve learned.”

The rescue operation ends a bizarre series of days in which the alleged Chinese balloon flew through US airspace. It was visible at some points to those on the ground and was first seen over Montana. Defense officials said it was a clear attempt to spy on classified sites, although officials refrained from firing at him until he was above water for fear that falling debris could harm civilians.

Since then, President Biden has faced harsh criticism from Republicans who said he acted too slowly to bring down the balloon. News has also emerged of previous instances of Chinese reconnaissance balloons crossing US soil at least three times during the Trump administration.

VanHerke acknowledged that a “domain awareness gap” resulted in U.S. officials being unaware of several previous observation balloons that were flying over the country at the time.

In this case, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which also oversees VanHerk, first spotted a hot air balloon north of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska.

The US military did not shoot him down then, because “there was no time.”

“In my assessment, this balloon did not pose a physical military threat to North America. . . and therefore I could not take immediate action because it did not demonstrate hostile action or hostile intent,” he said.

NORAD kept US and Canadian officials informed of the location of the balloon as it flew further south and inland, and the military gathered information about the object before shooting it down.

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He described the balloon as being up to 200 feet tall and carrying a device about the size of a regional jet that likely weighed around 1,000 pounds. According to him, this payload made it difficult to bring down the balloon.

“From a safety standpoint, imagine large pieces of debris weighing hundreds if not thousands of pounds falling from the sky,” he explained.

Before the balloon was released, the Pentagon worked with NASA to assess what the debris field might look like, with the agency predicting six or seven miles of debris. Officials also made sure that there was no air traffic nearby during the operation.

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