Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON DC: The US Department has released a selfie image captured by an airman while flying over the Chinese balloon that was shot down earlier.
The selfie was taken from the cockpit of a U-2 spy plane as the US military spotted the progress of the high-altitude balloon over the United States. Beijing has insisted that the balloon was a weather ship that had been blown off course. However, Washington claims that the balloon was part of a vast Chinese intelligence collection programme.
At least two planes gathered data on the balloon’s features and trajectory as it flew over US territory. A senior State Department official stated “earlier this month that fly-bys revealed it “was able to carry out signals intelligence gathering operations”.
On January 28, officials became aware of the balloon when it entered Alaskan airspace. The foreign object was identified by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), a joint operation of the USA and Canada, but the military did not shoot it down at the time. Officials explained that because of the balloon’s size and potential debris field, they couldn’t shoot it down over land, putting civilians on the ground in danger.
Selfie image of balloon
One defence official told US legislators earlier this month that the balloon was as tall as the Statue of Liberty and had “a jetliner-size payload”. The photo, which was released on Wednesday, was taken the day before the balloon was shot down off the coast of South Carolina on February 4th. The photograph has reportedly achieved “legendary status” within the Pentagon.
The balloon was said to be at 60,000 feet (18,200 metres) in the air. According to the Air Force, U-2 planes routinely fly at altitudes of more than 70,000 feet. The CIA previously used the single-seat reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft known as the Dragon Lady. Pilots must wear full-pressure suits similar to those used by astronauts.
Last Friday, recovery efforts for the balloon’s scattered remnants in the Atlantic Ocean came to an end. The Pentagon’s deputy press secretary, Sabrina Singh, said that pieces of the debris, including the payload, have been recovered and are being studied.
