Chinese spy balloon carried EXPLOSIVES to destroy itself trends now BREAKING NEWS: Chinese spy balloon carried EXPLOSIVES to destroy itself, was 200ft tall, weighed thousands of pounds and the payload was the 'size of a jetliner' By Nikki Schwab, Senior U.S. Political Reporter For Dailymail.com Published: 18:39 GMT, 6 February 2023 | Updated: 18:39 GMT, 6 February 2023 Viewcomments The Chinese spy balloon carried explosives to destroy itself, was 200 feet tall, weighed thousands of pounds and its payload was the size of a jetliner, a top Pentagon official said Monday. Air Force Gen. Glen D. VanHerck, commander of U.S. Northern Command, divulged new details about the downed balloon on a call with reporters Monday. His description followed a briefing by National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, who defended the White House's decision to wait and shoot down the Chinese craft until it was over South Carolina's coast on Saturday. 'Because the president decided they wouldn't shoot it down until he could do so safely, and that meant over water, that afforded us a terrific opportunity to gain a better understanding, to study the capabilities of this balloon,' he told reporters on a call. President Joe Biden ordered the balloon shot down Wednesday, but the U.S. military held off until Saturday, with the Air Force sending an F-22 fighter jet armed with an AIM-9X Sidewinder missile to do the job. The Chinese spy balloon carried explosives to destroy itself, was 200 feet tall, weighed thousands of pounds and its payload was the size of a jetliner, a top Pentagon official said Monday The Chinese spy balloon after it was shot down by an F-22 on Saturday over South Carolina's coastline The delay opened Biden up to political attacks from Republicans, many of whom demanded it shot down above land shortly after it was first reported to be flying above Montana. On Monday, video of balloon debris was shared by local South Carolina news outlets, coming in on a boat near north Myrtle Beach. Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility