The Pentagon destroyed the 'spy' balloon, China's immediate reaction comes

2023-02-05 10:27:18Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

The United States has shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of the US state of South Carolina, a week after it entered US airspace and sparked a dramatic spying saga that has soured relations between Beijing and Washington.

The military strike on Saturday drew an immediate response from China, which warned of "necessary" responses and insisted the "civilian unmanned aerial vehicle" was a weather research balloon that had strayed into US airspace "completely by accident". Al Jazeera.

US defense officials said Saturday's mission involved several fighter jets, but only one F-22 fighter jet from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia — fired at 2:39 p.m. using a 9X supersonic air-to-air missile.

The balloon, which had flown at about 18,300 meters, crashed about six nautical miles off the coast of South Carolina.

Video