BREAKING BALLOON NEWS: The alleged Chinese "spy balloon" which flew over the US this week and captured the nation's attention was shot down on Saturday by an F-22 fighter pilot using a $400,000 AIM-9 Sidewinder missile.
"NEW: senior defense official tells me an F22 fighter jet fired a single shot at the Chinese spy balloon in U.S. air space over Atlantic Ocean," Pentagon stenographer Jennifer Griffin reported. "The F22s flew from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. Senior US military official says 1 air to air missile fired by F22 at 58,000 feet (an A9X missile) brought down China spy balloon. The balloon was at 60-65,000 feet when shot."
NEW: senior defense official tells me an F22 fighter jet fired a single shot at the Chinese spy balloon in U.S. air space over Atlantic Ocean. The F22s flew from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.
— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) February 4, 2023
Senior US military official says 1 air to air missile fired by F22 at 58,000 feet (an A9X missile) brought down China spy balloon. The balloon was at 60-65,000 feet when shot.
— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) February 4, 2023
Each AIM-9 sidewinder costs around $400,000, according to Wikipedia.
Yes, the US could have shot the balloon down with some low-cost bullets and potentially recovered its electronics but this balloon was trying to take our freedoms and had to pay.
🚨#BREAKING: Incredible HD footage of the Chinese surveillance balloon being shot down
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) February 4, 2023
🚨#MyrtleBeach l #SC
Watch incredible HD video of the moment when the Chinese surveillance balloon was shot down by a single missile from an F-22 fighter jet from Langley Air Force Base pic.twitter.com/KjwTrgcvcb
We will never know whether it was just a weather balloon as China claimed or the highest-tech spy balloon in history because the rocket apparently made a direct hit on the lower section with all the electronics.
With the balloon finally out of our airspace, Americans can rest easy knowing they're now safe at last. While it's true China has satellites in orbit which can potentially see pennies on the ground of American cities (and the US has the same spying on China), this balloon was different.
This balloon was an evil Chinese balloon and I'm glad to see it dead.
It’s down folks!pic.twitter.com/J1fm9D3EHb
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 4, 2023
One top Trump official says none of the Chinese spy balloons back then were near sensitive sites or had payloads as large as this one appears to carry. Other sr Trump officials say they weren’t personally aware of any China surveillance balloons and don’t believe Trump made aware
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) February 3, 2023
Biden said he knew Wednesday he wanted to shoot China’s balloon down but it was decided that the “best time to do that was when it got over water on Saturday within our 12 mile limit.“
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) February 4, 2023
The US is now on war footing with China over #Balloongate.
While an alleged "spy balloon" rocks the nation to its core, the Secretary of Defense was just in the Philippines this week announcing the establishment of new US bases in anticipation of war with China over Taiwan. But remember, any response to this will be declared "unprovoked" pic.twitter.com/eIsGKKKCCn
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) February 4, 2023
China flying a "spy balloon" over the US is an outrageous violation of our sovereignty but the US surrounding China with US military bases and pouring tens of billions of dollars of military aid into Taiwan is just about maintaining the "rules-based order!"
Congratulations to US sharpshooters who - after several attempts - shot down a Chinese balloon strayed near the Land of the Free
— John Pilger (@johnpilger) February 5, 2023
Below is a map of some of the 400 US bases that surround China, spying, probing, several with nuclear arms. The US describes the bases as a 'noose'. pic.twitter.com/93GCmMnzKa
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