Suspected Chinese Spy Balloon Shot Down by U.S. Fighter Jets

U.S. fighter jets shot down the suspected Chinese spy balloon that had drifted across the United States for several days on Saturday, bringing an end to the opening chapter of a tense public standoff with Beijing over the intrusion into U.S. airspace.

The balloon was shot down off the coast of South Carolina shortly after 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, U.S. officials confirmed to CBS News. A senior defense official said an F-22 dispatched out of Langley Air Force Base took down the balloon with a single air-to-air missile. 

Defense officials previously told CBS News that the surveillance equipment attached to the balloon was the size of two to three school buses. Its presence over U.S. airspace prompted a diplomatic dispute between Washington and Beijing, which has claimed the balloon was meant for observing weather conditions, a claim U.S. officials have refuted.

Read the source article at cbsnews.com