The US Navy has released images of the recovery expedition to gather the pieces of the massive Chinese spy balloon shot down by a fighter jet over South Carolina on Saturday.
The navy’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 used underwater drones, warships and inflatable vessels to track down the remains.
The head of U.S. Northern Command, General Glen VanHerck, said the teams were taking precautions to safeguard against the chance any part of the balloon was rigged with explosives.
The balloon was an estimated 200 feet (60 meters) tall and carrying a long sensor package underneath, which VanHerck estimated was the size of a small regional jet.
The Navy is also using ships to map and scan the sea floor for all remaining parts of the balloon, so U.S. analysts can get a full picture of what types of sensors the Chinese were using and to better understand how the balloon was able to manoeuvre.
The balloon debris is scattered in waters that are about 50 feet (15 meters) deep, but stretch across an area 15 football fields long and 15 football fields across, VanHerck said.
The appearance of the balloon led U.S. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer to describe relations with China as “tense”.
The story caused political uproar in Washington and prompted the top U.S. diplomat, Antony Blinken, to cancel a Sunday-Monday trip to Beijing both countries had hoped would steady their rocky relations.
China has said it was a weather balloon that had blown off course into U.S. airspace and accused the United States of overreacting.
“I know the administration is looking at other actions that can be taken,” Schumer told reporters at the Capitol.
