Photos of Chinese Balloon Recovery Released by Department of Defense

By Savannah Rychcik February 7, 2023 at 3:33pm

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 26: U.S. President Joe Biden gives remarks before the start of a meeting with leaders from the Department of Defense in the State Dining Room of the White House on October 26, 2022 in Washington, DC. Biden spoke on a range of topics including his new appointments to the heads U.S. Military branches and his hope that the military reflects the population of the United States. Biden was joined by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (fourth from left) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley (R). (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The Department of Defense has released photos of sailors recovering the suspected Chinese spy balloon that was shot down.

In a tweet on the U.S. Fleet Forces account, photos showed the sailors pulling what appeared to be parts of the balloon out of the water.

“ATLANTIC OCEAN – [US Navy] Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Feb. 5, 2023,” the tweet stated.

📍ATLANTIC OCEAN – @USNavy Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Feb. 5, 2023. pic.twitter.com/QwjSFQEw1b

— U.S. Fleet Forces (@USFleetForces) February 7, 2023

According to ABC News, officials reported the debris field is roughly the size of 15 football fields by 15 football fields.

Additionally, the balloon had propellers and a rudder, per the outlet.

On Tuesday, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning was questioned about a comment from White House Security Council spokesman John Kirby saying balloon fragments and equipment are not expected to be returned to China.

“What I can say is that this airship does not belong to the United States, but to China,” Ming said.

She added, “The Chinese government will continue to resolutely safeguard its legitimate and legitimate rights and interests.”

China has claimed the balloon was a wayward “civilian unmanned airship” conducting research on weather.

President Joe Biden said while speaking to reporters that he “ordered the Pentagon to shoot it down on Wednesday as soon as possible.”

He added, “They decided without doing any damage to people on the ground they decided that the best time to do that was when it got over water outside within a 12 mile limit.”

Biden acknowledged they “successfully took it down and I want to compliment our aviators who did it and we’ll have more to report on a little later.”

The president continued, “I told them to shoot it down on Wednesday. They said to me let’s wait for the safest place to do it.”

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