US Recovers Key Sensors From Chinese Spy Balloon Downed By Military

The U.S. said it had recovered critical electronics from the suspected Chinese spy balloon downed by the U.S. military off South Carolina’s coast on Feb. 4.

What Happened: On Monday, the U.S. military's Northern Command said it found some key sensors presumably used for intelligence gathering from the Chinese spy balloon, reported Reuters. 

“Crews have been able to recover significant debris from the site, including all of the priority sensor and electronics pieces identified as well as large sections of the structure,” the military said in a statement.

See Also: Xi Jinping’s Mouthpiece Slams US For ‘Weaponizing’ Pacific Island Countries: ‘Opening A Sheep Pen To Wolves’

Earlier this month, U.S. military fighter jets, on President Joe Biden's order, shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon.

China had denied that it was a government spy vessel and said the “airship” had strayed into U.S. airspace by accident. Chinese foreign ministry also slammed U.S. politicians and the media for exploiting the situation to discredit Beijing.

Biden also tried to calm down the situation saying a Chinese spy balloon transiting the U.S. was not a major security breach. "I mean, look, it's totally … a violation of international law. It's our airspace. And once it comes into our space, we can do what we want with it."

The U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also told the media that ​​”these objects do not present a military threat to anyone on the ground.”

“They do, however, present a risk to civil aviation and potentially an intelligence collection threat.”

Check out more of Benzinga’s Europe and Asia coverage by following this link.