Pentagon Releases Selfie Taken by American Pilot With Chinese Spy Balloon
It’s the first clear view citizens have gotten of the in-flight balloon, which captured headlines worldwide during its daring cross-continent journey.
U.S. Department of Defense
In a moment ripped straight from the movie “Top Gun,” the Pentagon released a selfie Wednesday purportedly taken by the pilot of a fighter jet dispatched to monitor a Chinese spy balloon earlier this month, showing him flying just above the vessel. It’s the first clear view citizens have gotten of the in-flight balloon, which captured headlines worldwide during its daring cross-continent journey from Alaska to South Carolina, where it was ultimately downed on Feb. 4. It remains unclear when, and over which part of the country the photo was taken. After it was shot down, the balloon’s “payload” was recovered successfully, Pentagon officials said Wednesday.
📸: The Pentagon has provided & confirmed authenticity of this selfie taken by a U-2 pilot flying by the Chinese surveillance balloon.
— Haley Britzky (@halbritz) February 22, 2023
CNN reported earlier this month that the photo had reached legendary status in the Pentagon and NORAD. pic.twitter.com/BWRiSxADSO
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