Finance
The US Department of Defense (DOD) has released a selfie photo taken by an American pilot of the suspected Chinese spy balloon shot down earlier this month.
According to CNN, the selfie was taken by the pilot of a U-2 spy plane and shows the aircraft’s shadow on the balloon as it crossed the continental United States.
The suspected spy balloon, which was first spotted by the US on January 28, was shot down by an American F-22 fighter jet on February 4.
Before shooting down the “strange object,” officials waited until it was safely over water.
On February 5, the balloon was recovered off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
A senior State Department official said earlier this month that fly-bys “revealed that the high-altitude balloon was capable of conducting signals intelligence collection operations”.
According to the BBC, the image, which was released on Wednesday and was taken the day before the balloon was shot down, has “gained legendary status” inside the Pentagon.
The balloon was said to be 60,000 feet above the ground. According to the Air Force, U-2 spy 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.
On February 17, recovery efforts for the balloon’s scattered remnants in the Atlantic Ocean came to an end.
According to CNN, pieces of the debris were transferred to the Federal Bureau of Investigation Laboratory in Virginia to be studied further.
Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said in a briefing on Wednesday that the payload of the balloon had been recovered.
Source”IANS
