Balloon debris recovered off the coast of Alaska earlier this month appears to have been underwater for “more than a year,” Pentagon officials announced Friday.
The object’s remains were discovered by commercial fishermen who reported the find to the FBI before bringing it back to shore.
“Initial examination of the balloon debris indicates that it has been underwater for more than a year,” a Pentagon spokesperson said. Said reporter.
“Some of the materials have been transferred to a U.S. government facility for further investigation and analysis,” the official added.
Earlier this month, the Pentagon described the fishermen’s findings: “Large balloon and payload”
Last February, the U.S. Air Force launched a Chinese reconnaissance balloon over South Carolina after it flew across the country for several days, making national headlines and raising national security concerns.
The 60-meter-tall aircraft flew over major U.S. military installations multiple times before being shot down.
President Biden faced intense criticism from Republicans, who described the Chinese balloon’s payload as “two boxcars full of spy equipment” and said it should have come down sooner.
The Pentagon said it determined the balloons did not transmit data to China while flying over the United States and took steps to “mitigate potential collection efforts.”
In the weeks following the downing of the Chinese balloon, several other unidentified objects were shot down over the United States and Canada, including over Alaska.
No pieces of those objects were recovered, and Biden, 81, said they were not believed to be connected to China.
