Planes that Shoot down the Chinese Spy Balloon

The 1st Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force Base fired the Spy Balloon

On the afternoon of February 4th, 2023, an F-22 Raptor belonging to the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force Base of Virginia shot down the Chinese spy balloon that has been brewing raucous in the diplomatic relation between China and the United States. At the time of shooting it down, the balloon had been flying between the altitude of 60,000 feet to 65,000 feet and the F-22 raptor fired the sidewinder missile from seven thousand feet below the balloon (i.e., 58,000 feet altitude). The F-15 Eagles and Tankers escorted the F-22 Raptor during the mission. In addition, the Canadian Forces assisted, through the bi-national NORAD command, in tracking the overflight of the Chinese spy balloon.

Justin Trudeau, the Prime Minister of Canada, in a tweet, remarks that:

“Today, the United States brought down China’s high altitude surveillance balloon that violated American and Canadian airspace and and international law. Canada strongly supports this action- we’ll keep working together, including through NORAD Command, on our security and defence.”

The US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd J. Austin III, in an immediate release statement mentions that the Chinese spy balloon has been shot down over the maritime zone off the coast of South Carolina in the U.S. airspace. From the statement of the Secretary of Defense, it is clear that the spy balloon which was used by China to spy over the strategic spaces of the United States, has been shot down in the territorial waters of the United States.

Regarding shooting it over the maritime zone of the United States, the Secretary of Defense remarks in the statement that the U.S military commanders did not want to take undue risk to people across the land area.

The statement has two significant points. First, it is confirmed by the Secretary of Defense that the Chinese spy balloon has violated the sovereignty of the United States and such espionage conduct is unacceptable to the United States. Secondly, the U.S. military high command and the U.S government always willing to take lawful actions and always willing to put safety as well as physical security of the country’s people as first priority.

However, it is not clear yet whether the spy balloon was fallen on the continental shelf or in the actual territorial water. In an article of Department of Defense, it is mentioned that the spy balloon fell approximately six miles off the coast, i.e., the territorial water of the United States. The depth of that shallow maritime zone, in general, is approximately forty seven feet. It is important to know because if it falls beyond the territorial zone, where the depth might be of six thousand meters, the retrieval operation may be difficult. However, considering the operational procedure and timing of the United States military, it is evident that the military command has taken all precautions and measures into consideration.

Jim Garamone of the Department of Defense news mentions that the U.S military first detected the existence of the spy balloon when it entered into the air space of the Aleutian Island, an island chain of Alaska. According to Jim’s article, the spy balloon entered the island airspace on January 28 of 2023. The spy balloon entered the air space of the mainland of the United States through Idaho state.

However, it is evident that the saga of the Chinese spy balloon has not yet ended. The tension is just getting going and China would try to stake out its diplomatic prestige which was created by the spy balloon incident. China has also been slapped by a strong signal from both Canada and the United States that the air space sovereignty of this part of North America will be jointly safeguarded by the United States and Canada through the bi-nation NORAD Command.

After shooting it down, the U.S. military would obviously conduct the salvage operations to recover the wreckage of the Chinese spy balloon. Since, the wreckage of the balloon has fallen over the shallow territorial water of the United States, it is understandable that the U.S military has already made a security perimeter even before shooting it down to the territorial water.