This photo, now released by the US Navy, was taken on February 10.
Photo: Petty Officer 1st Class Kris Lin/US Navy via Dvidshub/dpa
(Photo: dpa)
Washington The US military has recovered the debris from the Chinese balloon that was shot down by a US fighter jet off the coast of South Carolina on February 4. “Crews were able to recover significant debris from the crash site, including all key sensors and electronics that were identified, as well as much of the structure,” the US military command north said on Monday.
Key sensors, which were probably used to gather information, were also secured. The US accuses China of launching the balloon for espionage purposes.
The shot down balloon had “multiple antennas” and was probably able to “collect and locate communications,” the US State Department said. Beijing denies that. The Chinese government said it was a civilian research balloon that went off course.
On Friday, a second object was shot down near Deadhorse, Alaska. A third object was destroyed over Canada’s Yukon on Saturday. On Sunday, a US jet shot down the fourth flying object over the US-Canada border over Lake Huron.
Despite rising tensions between the US and China over the balloon dispute, there are signs of de-escalation. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is considering meeting with top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi on the sidelines of next weekend’s Munich Security Conference, people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday. Blinken had canceled a trip to Beijing planned for early February because of the balloon dispute.
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Meanwhile, the White House in Washington felt compelled to clarify on Monday (local time). According to the US government, the flying objects shot down over North America are not related to extraterrestrials.
Republicans want more transparency
“There is no evidence of alien or extraterrestrial activity in these recent launches,” spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said. Previously, there had been speculation on social media about the origin of the missiles, including whether it might be an alien invasion.
The White House is still under pressure. Republicans in particular are demanding more information about the downed flying objects. “People are scared and believe crazy things that are on the internet,” right-wing Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has a history of conspiracy theories, wrote on Twitter. It is not about extraterrestrials, she clarified at least, but there is a lack of transparency.
At least congressmen and the governments of the affected states will be given more information about the shootings in the coming days, promised the communications director of the National Security Council, John Kirby. Much of this is likely to take place behind closed doors for the time being.
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