When the Chinese "research balloon" was shot down at 14:40 local time on Saturday, 4 February 2023, the US Navy was standing by with the amphibious dock landing ship USS Carter Hall and embarked teams from the FBI and NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) in the expected impact area to recover the debris.
Balloon recovery off Myrtle Beach, USS Carter Hall. Photo: U.S. Navy / Fleet Forces Command
Security forces
Three more Coast Guard cutters (USCGC Venturous (Reliance-class), Richard Snyder, Nathan B. Bruckenthal, both Sentinel-class) and their flying component secured the area approximately six nautical miles off Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, while the cruiser USS Philippine Sea (Ticonderoga-class) and the destroyer USS Oscar Austin (Arleigh Burke-class) provided wide-area surveillance. The survey ship USNS Pathfinder (type ship) was on standby for the ground search.
Balloon recovery off Myrtle Beach, EOD Team 2 Photo: U.S. Navy / Fleet Forces Command
Salvage
The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team 2 (EOD team) fished the floating remnants of material out of the water, including some panels that were still attached. Divers and underwater drones searched for the rest of the technical payload, which weighed around one tonne and was located at a relatively shallow depth but widely distributed. The parts that have already been recovered are being forensically analysed and assessed for functionality and possibilities.
Water landing
The advantage of a splashdown compared to a crash on the ground when launched over land is possibly also less destruction of the reconnaissance and communication components of the balloon due to the gentler impact on landing.
As there is at least one more balloon approaching, the reception committee will probably already have revised checklists to fall back on.
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