The US military is recovering a Chinese spy balloon that was shot down off the coast of South Carolina by a US military fighter jet and expects to gain valuable intelligence from it. Several US Navy and Coast Guard vessels have established a security perimeter to search for debris. The balloon is expected to be easy to recover as it fell into a relatively shallow area. Recovering the balloon would give military investigators the opportunity to examine sensitive Chinese surveillance equipment. The US was able to study and scrutinize the balloon and its equipment, which was considered of intelligence value. The balloon was being used to surveil "strategic sites" in the US and was considered an "unacceptable violation of our sovereignty." The Biden administration was criticized for being slow to act and for the delay in shooting the balloon down.

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