Meanwhile, a lawmaker says he has more questions for the Pentagon after a briefing this weekend.Meanwhile, a lawmaker says he has more questions for the Pentagon after a briefing this weekend.
The military has begun the work of recovering debris from a Chinese spy balloon that was shot down two days ago off the East Coast, a top U.S. general said Monday.
A Navy dock landing ship, the USS Carter Hall, is near where the balloon splashed down off of South Carolina and is collecting and categorizing debris, Gen. Glen VanHerck, head of U.S. Northern Command, told reporters on Monday. The USNS Pathfinder, an oceanographic survey ship, is also working to produce a map of the balloon’s debris field. He noted that rough seas hampered recovery operations on Sunday.
Meanwhile, forces trained in removing unexploded ordnance went out to the site in a rigid-hull inflatable boat this morning, and will deploy unmanned underwater vehicles equipped with side-scan sonar to locate debris.
The military is concerned the remnants of balloon’s payload could contain explosives or hazardous material, and wants to ensure the safety of the site, VanHerck said. The balloon was as much as 200 feet tall, with a payload the size of a jetliner that weighed “in excess of a couple thousand pounds.
