News Desk
WASHINGTON: The US military said that the sensors from a suspected Chinese spy balloon that was downed after crossing into the United States have recovered from the Atlantic Ocean.
The US Northern Command said that search crews discovered “significant debris from the site, including all of the priority sensor and electronics pieces identified”, the US Northern Command said.
The FBI examines the items Washington said were used to spy on sensitive military sites.
“Large sections of the structure” were also found on Monday off the coast of South Carolina, military officials said.
The CBS said that about 30-40ft (9-12m) of the balloon’s antenna array are among the items found.
US officials said the high-altitude balloon came from China and was used for surveillance, but Beijing said it was merely a weather-monitoring airship that had blown astray.
US shot three more flying objects since downing first balloon
Since the first incident on February 4, American fighter jets have shot down three more flying objects in as many days in locations over Alaska, Canada’s Yukon territory, and Lake Huron on the US-Canada border.
The first Sidewinder missile fired by the F-22 warplane in the Lake Huron strike exploded in an unknown location after missing its target, US media reported, citing military sources. Reportedly, the second missile hit the target.
Each Sidewinder missile costs over $400,000 (£330,000).
Officials added that the slow-moving unidentified objects, much smaller than the original balloon, may be complex for military pilots to target. White House spokesman John Kirby
