President Joe Biden announced on Saturday that he had given the order to shoot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon earlier in the week. The balloon had been travelling across North America and was seen as a potential source of tension between the US and China. The US military successfully took it down over water, and Biden praised the aviators who completed the mission. The Federal Aviation Administration closed airspace over the Carolina coastline, including airports in Charleston and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina, in preparation for the operation. A small explosion was seen as the balloon descended towards the water, and US military jets and ships were deployed to recover the debris. Biden had initially wanted to take the balloon down over land, but Pentagon officials warned that it could pose a risk to people on the ground. The balloon's journey had been out of China's control, and the Chinese government had denied any claims of spying, saying it was a civilian-use balloon intended for meteorology research. The US Secretary of State's visit to Beijing was cancelled due to the balloon's presence, and reactions on the Chinese internet suggested the US was exaggerating the situation.
This Cyber News was published on www.securityweek.com. Publication date: Sun, 05 Feb 2023 13:40:03 +0000