• Pentagon officials are planning to shoot down the Chinese spy balloon over the Atlantic so that it lands in U.S. territorial waters. The action will require a substantial localized airspace shutdown in order to protect civilians, the source told ABC.
• Spy balloons usually operate at altitudes of up to 120,000 feet, but the Chinese aircraft has descended to around 46,000 feet, meaning it is well within striking distance for an F-22 Raptor which can soar to 65,000 feet.
• However, the mission is fraught with complexity. In 1998, the Canadian air force sent up F-18 fighter jets to try and shoot down a rogue weather balloon. They fired a thousand 20-millimeter cannon rounds into it before it finally sank six days later.

Tagged: China