Two US Navy warships collect Chinese surveillance ballon debris.

According to information published by the US DoD on February 7, 2023, the U.S. military began collecting the remnants of a Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon shot down by an Air Force fighter.
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Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship USS Carter Hall. (Picture source: US DoD)

On Saturday, an F-22 Raptor fighter from the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, fired one AIM-9X Sidewinder missile at the balloon, which had floated southeastward across the United States.

It fell about six miles off the coast of South Carolina into about 50 feet of water. No one was hurt. Precautions are being taken during the salvage operation in case explosives or toxic substances are present, VanHerck said.

Due to changing ocean currents, it's possible that some debris could escape notice and wash ashore. VanHerck said members of the public can be assist by informing local law enforcement personnel if they spot remnants of the balloon; they should not collect it themselves.

The USS Carter Hall, an amphibious landing ship, is collecting debris in the vicinity of the splashdown, he said. The USNS Pathfinder, a survey ship, is mapping the ocean floor using sonar for the debris search, VanHerck said.

Explosive ordnance members and at least one unmanned underwater vehicle are also participating, he said.

About the USS Carter Hall

Carter Hall is a dock landing ship in the US Navy. It was built in 1991 by Avondale Shipyards in Louisiana and was commissioned in 1995. She is currently homeported in Virginia and assigned to Amphibious Squadron Four.

Carter Hall is a Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship with a displacement of 11,471 tons (light) and 16,360 tons (full). It has a length of 610 ft (190 m) and a beam of 84 ft (26 m).

The LSD is powered by 4 Colt Industries, 16-cylinder diesel engines, 2 shafts, 33,000 shp (25,000 kW), and has a speed of over 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph). The ship can carry LCACs, 1 LCU, four LCM-8 or nine LCM-6 and has a capacity for 15 Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAV) and 2 M1 Abrams tanks.

USS Carter Hall has a complement of 24 officers and 397 enlisted and a marine detachment of 402 + 102 surge. The ship is armed with two 25 mm Mk 38 cannons, two 20 mm Phalanx CIWS mounts, two Rolling Airframe Missile launchers, and six .50 caliber M2HB machine guns.