A Chinese balloon over US territory was shot down by a ‘state-of-the-art’ AIM-9X missile
The epic with the Chinese balloon ended with its downing by the American Air Force. The balloon was hit by an F-22 Raptor fighter. To destroy the object, the pilot used the AIM-9X Sidewinder – a missile that is positioned as the most modern in the USA.
A U.S Defense Official has stated that a F-22 from Langley Air Force Base fired 1 AIM-9X Missile at around 58,000 ft which hit the Chinese Spy Balloon which was flying at 65,000 ft.
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) February 4, 2023
Pentagon spokesmen confirmed the destruction of the balloon in a safe place for people over the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Representatives of the Ministry of Defense called the balloon ‘a spy that was used to monitor strategic objects.’
"This surveillance balloon purposely traverses the United States and Canada, and we are confident it was seeking to monitor sensitive military sites."
— Lara Seligman (@laraseligman) February 4, 2023
The rocket was launched from a height of 17.8 km. At that moment, the balloon was at an altitude of almost 20 kilometers. The object was destroyed the first time. The AIM-9X Sidewinder class used for this purpose is air-to-air.
Characteristics of the rocket:
- modification – Block II;
- wingspan – 0.45 m;
- cost – more than $500,000;
- length – 3 m;
- weight – more than 84 kilos;
- diameter – 0.13 m.
Official Beijing protested. According to representatives of the People’s Republic of China, the balloon was used exclusively for civilian purposes. The appearance of a balloon over the US territory was explained by the Chinese as force majeure – the loss of control due to strong winds – and promised to prepare an ‘adequate response’, without specifying its essence.
The incident resulted in the cancellation of Secretary of State Anthony Blinken’s visit to Beijing to warn China against deepening military cooperation with Russia.
