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  • WATCH: Video shows U.S. shooting down Chinese spy balloon over the Atlantic
Details explored after the US military shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon as it drifted off the East Coast near the Carolinas. (Image via NBC News)

WATCH: Video shows U.S. shooting down Chinese spy balloon over the Atlantic

The US military has shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon as it drifted off the East Coast near the Carolinas. In light of this, China has accused the US of “overreacting” and “violating international peace.”

The Colombian Air Force has also shared their confirmation regarding the object, describing it as being similar to a balloon.

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Many videos surfaced on social media since a large white balloon was seen mid-air. American forces shot it down, and all that was seen later was smoke around the balloon. After that, the suspected Chinese spy balloon descended toward the water.

RIP Chinese Spy Balloon. Never forget.

#ChineseSpyBalloon

After the incident, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement:

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"Today's deliberate and lawful action demonstrates that President Joe Biden and his national security team will always put the safety and security of the American people first while responding effectively to the PRC's unacceptable violation of our sovereignty.”
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As per the military in North America, the operation was planned in a manner so that all of the debris falls into the ocean, and not on the land. Furthermore, ships were pre-informed and were delayed so that most of the debris could be recovered.


President Biden vowed to “take care” of the Chinese spy balloon

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Several local channels have reported that President Joe Biden vowed to “take care” of the balloon hours before the Chinese spy balloon was shot down. The military later revealed that the balloon was first discovered on January 28, 2023, when it first entered US airspace.

At the time, the white balloon-like object lingered over Montana as it made its way across the country to North Carolina on Saturday, February 4, 2023. Additionally, it was confirmed by the Chinese Foreign Ministry that the balloon belonged to China, who claimed that it was a civilian airship that was conducting climate research.

First close-up video of the Chinese spy balloon being shot down (music was added by the original author)
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The American military also claimed that they waited for almost a week as they did not want to shoot it down earlier over concerns of hurting people or property on the land. A plan was executed to shoot the Chinese spy balloon over water, as the debris could endanger lives on the ground.

The military confirmed that the object, an alleged Chinese spy balloon, was above 55,000 feet, moving at an average speed of 25 knots. North American Aerospace Defense Command, also known as NORAD, detected the balloon and continued to track the path and activities of the Chinese spy balloon.

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Military officials then took action once they saw how the balloon kept going up, high over Alaska, into Canada, and back towards the US. A White House official also spoke up on the matter and claimed that President Joe Biden and his military advisers took “responsible action” by waiting to shoot down the Chinese balloon until it was over water. The official also said:

“This is the responsible action for the Commander in Chief to take. He prioritized the safety of the American people. He ensured that the military take steps to protect against the balloon’s collection of sensitive information, mitigating any intelligence value to the PRC. And, we were able to track the balloon and get information on it.”

The statement came after many questioned the American President and the military as to why the balloon wasn't shot down earlier.

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Edited by
Prem Deshpande
 
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