It will reportedly take multiple days to retrieve the wreckage of the Chinese spy balloon that was downed off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday, sparking early concerns that China might reach the craft before U.S. forces.
After a two day long drama that saw the Chinese craft fly, unmolested, across the continental United States from Montana to South Carolina – hovering over sensitive U.S. military bases and nuclear missile silos throughout the journey – two F-22 Raptor fighter jets took down the balloon with a single AIM-9X sidewinder missile at 2:38 p.m. off the coast of Myrtle Beach, the Daily Mail reported.
Video of the balloon bursting was quick to emerge, and now audio has been released featuring of one of the fighter pilots confirming, “The balloon is completely destroyed” after the single missile hit its target.
❗️🇨🇳 🇺🇲Voice from the F-22 Cockpit which downed the #ChineseSpyBalloon
US Comms from FRANK01 (Langley AFB F-22) calling, “SPASH ONE” confirming to “HUNTRESS” (Eastern Air Defense Sector “EADS”) that the Spy Balloon is completely destroyed off the coast of South Carolina pic.twitter.com/7mxaHs2s57
— OsintTV📺 (@OsintTV) February 5, 2023
However, after the craft was downed, the Navy and Coast Guard quickly had to establish a perimeter around the debris field, which Fox News reported was about 7 miles wide in water around 47 feet deep.
Citing a senior military official, the outlet reported that the current timeline for recovering the debris “is unknown.” Further, it will take “a couple of days” for a Navy salvage vessel to make its way to South Carolina.
Watch the moment a Top Gun pilot took down the Chinese spy balloon:
It’s unclear whether the recovery will require specialized craft, but both the United States and China have acknowledged the sensitive nature of the balloon’s inventory.
Biden faced severe scrutiny from Republicans, including 45th President Donald Trump, over waiting to shoot down the balloon, but over the weekend the 80-year-old claimed that he ordered the Pentagon to shoot down the balloon last Wednesday, but his orders were delayed.
Watch Biden’s remarks on Spreely.video:
Despite some critics noting that the balloon likely traversed the Aleutian Islands in Alaska, the White House maintains that the Pentagon determined shooting it down over the Atlantic would be the best course of action, and that the U.S. Armed Forces were able to intercept and jam the spy balloon’s communications while it remained airborne.
Republicans maintain that it was irresponsible to allow the Chinese surveillance device to traverse the United States.
gvette75
February 5, 2023 at 10:07 am
LOL..the government moving at the pace of slow Joe, and his HO.
Paul
February 6, 2023 at 8:50 am
So, is this article trying to say that the Navy and Coast Guard perimeter around the site is unable to hold off a Chinese recovery ship? What a crock of $hit.
Coolmeadow Kid
February 5, 2023 at 10:09 am
So, is this another failure for our current administration and military? Was this a final attempt to do the right thing fueled by public outcry that Biden is part of China’s regime? If they had planned to do this from the start, then why wait until it was done to have recovery craft close to the suspected impact location so the time frame was quicker???? This just adds more fuel to the fire that Biden is deeper in bed with the Chinese government than Swallwell was with Fang Fang.
Bret
February 5, 2023 at 10:12 am
Will the US under Biden fight for the down balloon debris or will they tuck their liberal tails in and roll over. I know which one will occur. Sorry to compare our man living friends to liberals. Yea I said man.
billi
February 5, 2023 at 10:16 am
Who can believe a single f–king thing they (Biden Admin) say. They said we’ll wait til it gets over water, What’s that been 2-3 days???? Now, its 2-3 days more to get a vessel there. And how many terabytes of America’s electrons have been vacuumed up and sent to China ??? Oh ya, Biden says we dampened and clouded their comm. Its to f__king stupid to be true. Angry Angry and Worried we will be too far gone to come back. Marine Vet.
Paul
February 5, 2023 at 10:16 am
I sure hope that this statement was true… “Forces were able to intercept and jam the spy balloon’s communications while it remained airborne.” However, with all the lies that are generated by the Federal Government, I take their word with a grain of salt.
Crotte
February 5, 2023 at 10:17 am
Idiots playing Halloween!
2WarAbnVet
February 5, 2023 at 10:27 am
Just one more smokescreen! I’ve no doubt that all pertinent date from the balloon was instantaneously transmitted to the ChiComs.
Frank Latimer
February 5, 2023 at 10:39 am
No doubt in my mind that had the U.S. send a balloon over to china it would have been shot down way before it reached there and china would have declared war on us. This BS is really gettin out of hand.
Jersey Prophet
February 5, 2023 at 11:35 am
Debris about to do a disappearing act like Hunter’s laptop. And the reasons are the same. They’re both owned by the CCP!
DieBidenDie
February 5, 2023 at 8:55 pm
Exactly. The Biden admin IS the CCP. Why do Americans allow this clown to continue to make the US the laughing stock of the free world. Joe Biden literally taking it up the ass from the commie fags
Phil F
February 5, 2023 at 11:57 am
The US Navy needs to get prepared? What the hell, the navy should have had a ship in place to recover the spy balloon. Who in the hell is running the navy, Biden certainly can’t? Somebody should be kicked in the butt for not being ready to recover the balloon.
porterv
February 5, 2023 at 1:12 pm
The Chinese may get there first? Off of the Carolinas? We used to be known as the “Can Do” Americans. Under Biden and his freak show administration (including our “Woke” military) we have become the “Can’t Do Squat” Americans.
Livid
February 5, 2023 at 5:44 pm
Yep, the America I know would have been there in minutes. However, the trash occupying DC is unAmerican, Treasonous.
Paul4756
February 5, 2023 at 1:38 pm
I am sure Braindead Idiot Biden was warned by our Communist Chinese masters to stay away from their spy balloon. Braindead was given the OK to shoot it down since Peking had already gotten all the intelligence data it needed about the United States as the spy balloon drifted finally over the Atlantic Ocean. Pathetic.
george
February 5, 2023 at 1:26 pm
why bother trying to recover it. just send a missile to blow it up, they already have the info that was sent by it.
WILL NAKAYAMA
February 5, 2023 at 4:16 pm
Another major failure of Biden’s administrations. They could has shot down the balloon of Alaskan wilderness but they waited until it was over the Atlantic and didn’t even prepare in advance to have a recovery team ready. Typical Biden, one failure after another.
Jolly Roger
February 5, 2023 at 5:35 pm
We will never win a war again. Biden and His military heads have ruined
our forces. We had been tracking that thing for days and we couldn’t get
the Navy or Coast Guard in place. I am sure the plan was to wait until it reached East Coast but all those fast ships we have can’t get in place. Idiots!
Sherman Waters
February 5, 2023 at 8:50 pm
Traitor Joe is the worst president in history. He is so incompetent, and stupid. Impeach this son of a bitch immediately.
Bubba K
February 6, 2023 at 1:17 pm
Funny you people think that that demented old pinko commie criminal is in charge! He gave the order to shoot it down and they delayed the orders from the so-called commander in chief? Anyone fired or relieved of duty? It just shows that the swamp is in charge of the USSA, so since I not aloud to say what needs to be done according to the constitution, I’ll just say get prepared for what could happen!
CharlieSeattle
February 6, 2023 at 1:41 pm
Idiots had 8 days to plan for this! F#@k the DOD Top BrASS!
deplorablylost
February 6, 2023 at 4:18 pm
Several days??? I’ll bet Rick and Marty Lagina can get a team of divers together before the government does.