Pentagon Releases U-2 Pilot’s Photo of Chinese Spy Balloon Before It Was Shot Down

A U.S. Air Force pilot looks down at the Chinese surveillance balloon as it hovered over the central continental United States, on Feb. 3, 2023. Courtesy of the Department of Defense

The Pentagon released a photo of the Chinese spy balloon on Wednesday taken by a U.S. Air Force pilot before it was shot down earlier this month.

The photo of the Chinese spy balloon hovering over the central continental United States was captured by a U-2 pilot on Feb. 3. The image depicts the pilot observing the suspect balloon from above.