The US Department of Defense released a high-altitude selfie taken by a pilot from the cockpit of a U2 spy plane flying near a Chinese balloon that Washington accused of collecting intelligence, on the eve of its destruction by the US army.
This balloon, described by China as a “civilian aircraft used for research purposes, mainly meteorological”, was shot down on February 4 on the orders of US President Joe Biden.
The case has intensified tension between Washington and Beijing. The United States believes the balloon was controlled by the Chinese military and was part of a fleet sent by Beijing over more than 40 countries on five continents for espionage purposes.
The photo released by the Pentagon on Wednesday shows the white balloon hovering over a wide expanse in the central United States on February 3 and observed by the pilot of the U2 plane.
In the photo, solar panels are visible under the balloon and the pilot’s helmet appears in the foreground.
The next day, an F-22 fighter jet shot down the balloon over the Atlantic, near the coast of South Carolina, the Pentagon citing an “unacceptable violation” of American “sovereignty”.
The photo first circulated on the specialized site “Dragon Lady Today” – the U2 plane is commonly nicknamed “Dragon Lady” – and a spokeswoman for the Pentagon, Sabrina Singh, confirmed its authenticity at a conference on Wednesday Press.
The American media jumped on the cliché. CNN television had previously reported on this selfie “already endowed with legendary status both at NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) and at the Pentagon”.
The U2 reconnaissance plane, designed to be able to fly up to more than 21,000 meters to spy on enemy territory, is reputed to be one of the most difficult planes in the world to fly. A US Air Force veteran, he rose to fame when one was shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960.