• News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Video shows moment Chinese 'spy' balloon is shot down

Home> News

Updated 10:28 5 Feb 2023 GMTPublished 10:08 5 Feb 2023 GMT

Video shows moment Chinese 'spy' balloon is shot down

An alleged 'Chinese spy balloon' has been shot down by US authorities off the coast of South Carolina.

Katherine Sidnell

Katherine Sidnell

The US military have shot down the alleged Chinese ‘spy’ balloon, which has been seen floating across the States in recent days.

Earlier today, the Department of Defence confirmed that it had sent a fighter jet to bring the balloon down over the Atlantic.

Before being shot down, the device had been seen lurking near key American military sites.

Advert

The footage shows the balloon, which can be seen as a tiny white dot, falling from the sky.

Moments before shot down, viewers can see vapour trails from the AIM-9X Sidewinder missile as it finally brings down the device.

Despite this occurring roughly six miles off the US coast, several members of the public were still able to record the moment the balloon was shot down by a F-22 fighter jet.

Advert

Estimated to be the size of three buses, officials have collected the majority of the debris of the 47ft (14m) balloon, which landed near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Two naval ships are still combing a seven-mile (11km) area for any remaining parts of the balloon.

President Biden had approved the plan to shoot down the device when officials began tracking it on Thursday – not long after the balloon first appeared on social media.

President Biden approved plans to shoot down the device.
dpa picture alliance / Alamy Stock Photo

Advert

However, the authorities waited to shoot the device over water to ensure the public were not put at risk.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also paused all civilian flights in the area, because of the ‘national security effort’.

In a statement, the Pentagon said: " While we took all necessary steps to protect against the PRC [China] surveillance balloon's collection of sensitive information, the surveillance balloon's overflight of US territory was of intelligence value to us.”

They added: "We were able to study and scrutinise the balloon and its equipment, which has been valuable.”

Advert

President Biden later commented on the takedown, saying: "They successfully took it down, and I want to compliment our aviators who did it."

Meanwhile, Chinese authorities have denied the device was a spying aircraft, stating that it was a weather balloon that had been blown off course due to bad weather.

A fighter jet was scrambled to bring down the device.
Horizon International Images / Alamy Stock Photo

Their foreign minister later expressed his ‘strong dissatisfaction’ and condemned the ‘US's use of force to attack civilian unmanned aircraft’.

Advert

They said: "The Chinese side has repeatedly informed the US side after verification that the airship is for civilian use and entered the US due to force majeure - it was completely an accident."

However, the appearance of the balloon has resulted in the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, calling off his schedule diplomatic trip to China, calling it an 'irresponsible act'.

Featured Image Credit: Twitter/ @latestinspace

Topics: US News, China

Katherine Sidnell
Katherine Sidnell

Katherine is an entertainment journalist with a love of all things nerdy. Starting out writing Doctor Who fan fiction as a kid, she has gone on to interview the likes of Matt Damon, James May and Dua Lipa to name a few. Published in The Sun, The Daily Mail and Evening Standard - she now joins Ladbible as resident nerd in chief.

X

@ksidnell

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

7 hours ago
8 hours ago
9 hours ago
  • 7 hours ago

    Ex-pilot of B-2 stealth bomber reveals disturbing truth of going to toilet on 44-hour mission

    Air Force colonel Melvin Deaile had to go for a wee every 60 minutes

    News
  • 8 hours ago

    People left stunned as woman breaks down exactly how much it costs to give birth in America

    You could put deposits down on several houses for that!

    News
  • 9 hours ago

    Doctor gives 'deeply concerning' warning after man injected himself with sperm to 'cure back pain'

    A man self-medicated by injecting himself with his own semen to 'cure' his back pain

    News
  • 9 hours ago

    Rosie O’Donnell issues scathing response to all the celebrities who attended Jeff Bezos’ $56,000,000 wedding

    "Seeing all these billionaires gathering in the gross excess of it all. The show of it," she wrote on Instagram.

    Celebrity
  • Secret military report reveals what was inside notorious Chinese spy balloon that caused panic
  • Unbelievable footage shows moment Elon Musk's SpaceX rocket explodes during test
  • Disturbing footage shows moment police officer is beaten into critical condition while pursuing suspect
  • Expert reveals the 15 US cities that would be first targets if WW3 started and some might surprise you