US Balloon Gate: $400,000 guided missile for $12 balloon

– $400,000 guided missile versus $12 balloon

At least one of the shot down “spy balloons” turned out to be a joke of a hobby club.

Martin Suter

Published: 02/18/2023, 21:51

On February 4, the US Air Force used a missile to shoot down a Chinese spy balloon over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of South Carolina.

Foto: Chad Fish (AP, Keystone)

“Granted,” Senator Ted Cruz quipped on Twitter, “US President Joe Biden provided a powerful deterrent to middle school clubs preparing to invade America.” The Texas Republican responded Thursday to the high likelihood that the US Air Force also used a guided missile to take down a small, harmless hobbyist balloon following the February 4 belated downing of a Chinese spy balloon.