CORRECTS TO KINGSTOWN, NOT KINGSTON – In this photo provided by Brian Branch, a large balloon drifts above the Kingstown, N.C. area, with an airplane and its contrail seen below it. The United States says it is a Chinese spy balloon moving east over America at an altitude of about 60,000 feet (18,600 meters), but China insists the balloon is just an errant civilian airship used mainly for meteorological research that went off course due to winds and has only limited “self-steering” capabilities. (Brian Branch via AP)
AP
The U.S. shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon off the Carolina coast on Saturday, after the high-altitude balloon spent the last week traveling across the country, according to several outlets.
An operation is reportedly underway to recover debris from the downed balloon, The Associated Press confirmed.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) paused flights from three airports in North Carolina and South Carolina and closed additional airspace on Saturday afternoon in order to support the Defense Department in a “national security effort.” The balloon had been seen traveling over the Carolinas on Saturday.
The Hill has reached out to the Defense Department for comment.
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This story was originally published February 4, 2023 3:21 PM.
