After flying across the US and hovering over nuclear silos, a Chinese spy balloon was brought down by an F-22 Raptor fighter jet firing a single Sidewinder missile.
The $200 million jet flew out the Langley Air Force base on Saturday to take down the balloon at 2.38pm, separating its surveillance payload and sending it plummeting towards the ocean off Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
The Pentagon confirmed: ‘The balloon, which was being used by the People’s Republic of China in an attempt to surveil strategic sites in the continental United States, was brought down above US territorial waters.’
The two F-22 Raptors that were deployed for the mission flew with the callsigns ‘FRANK01’ and ‘FRANK02,’ a possible homage to World War I ace First Lt. Frank Luke Jr., the ‘Arizona Balloon Buster’ who destroyed 14 German observation balloons.
An F-22 Raptor fighter jet fired a single AIM-9X missile to take down a Chinese spy balloon and its payload, which was equipped with cameras, sensors and radars
The F-22 boasts a top speed of 1,500 mph and can fly at a max altitude of 65,000 feet, with its missile capable of reaching 1,900 mph. Pictured: an F-22 firing a Sidewinder
The spy balloon was taken down six miles off the coast of South Carolina (pictured)
Developed by the aerospace and defense giant Lockheed Martin, the F-22 Raptor first took flight on September 7, 1997 over Marietta, Georgia.
The modern day, single-seat, fighter jet boasts a top speed of 1,500 mph and can fly at a max altitude of 65,000 feet.
A Raptor is typically equipped with air-to-air missiles, including the AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles and AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles.
The F-22 Raptor that struck the Chinese spy balloon on Saturday was equipped with AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles, high-tech weapons that can lock onto a target just by tracking its pilot’s eyes.
A Sidewinder missile’s top speed can hit 1,900 mph, and each missile costs about $380,000.
The missile severed the Chinese balloon with its payload, a solar-powered mechanism equipped with cameras, sensors and radars.
Defense officials estimated the balloon was about the size of three buses at a height of 120 feet, and that the debris field would be substantial, estimated at seven miles.
The F-22s that were deployed used the callsign ‘FRANK,’ a possible tribute to World War I ace Lt. Frank Luke Jr. (pictured), known as the ‘Arizona Balloon Buster’
The balloon busters took down German observation balloons during the war, with Luke credited with taking down 14 of them in just 17 days
Pictured: An American pilot taking down a German balloon in World War I
The successful takedown of the balloon and the callsigns used by the F-22s call to mind the legacy of US Army Air Service Medal of Honor recipient First Lieutenant Frank Luke Jr., known as the ‘Arizona Balloon Buster.’
Born on May 19, 1897, Luke was well known for his athleticism, serving as the captain of the Phoenix High School track team and as a member of the football and basketball teams.
At age 20, he enlisted in the Signal Corps to train as a pilot and was deployed into combat in France as a member of First Pursuit Group of the 27th Aero Squadron.
The Squadron was given specific orders to destroy the German observation balloons flying above France.
Luke, along with his close friend, Lt. Joseph Wehner, volunteered repeatedly to take down the balloons, which were heavily defended by anti-aircraft units.
In just six days, the duo took down several balloons by themselves, with Luke firing at the blimps while Wehner provided cover.
But on September 18, 1918, Wehner was killed in a dog fight with a pair of enemy Fokker D. VIIs.
Luke went on to shoot down the planes that killed his friend, along with two more observation balloons.
Frank Luke Jr. enlisted at age 20, volunteering with his friend Lt. Joseph Wehner to take down the balloons assigned to their squadron
The observation balloons were used as a form of espionage and intelligence gathering by the Germans, and they were heavily guarded by anti-aircraft units
Luke was recognized for his heroism taking down 14 of these balloons, including two after Wehner was shot down
Luke’s final mission took place on September 29, 1918, where the villagers of Murvaux, France, documented his heroic death.
The witnesses said an American aviator was being shot at by a squadron of German planes.
The American dipped towards the Earth before straightening out and veering towards two German balloons in Briers Farm, shooting them down while avoiding enemy fire.
Unfortunately, the witnesses said the aviator was flying wounded after the takedown, but he still continued to fight and destroyed one more balloon before having to land.
He fired from his aircraft, killing six German soldiers and injuring more before his plane came to a stop.
Luke then drew his .45 caliber pistol and fired at the enemy before receiving a fatal shot to the chest.
The witnesses claimed that a German commander kicked Luke’s body in rage after the American’s final stand and ordered the villagers to ‘Get that thing out of my way as quickly as possible.’
Luke fought until his final moments, and along with receiving the US Army Air Service Medal of Honor, a statue of him was erected in his native Phoenix, Arizona
Pictured: Historical paintings of the American balloon busters who ravaged German crafts
Not knowing who he was, the village set up a grave marked as ‘Unknown American Aviator.’
Between September 12 to 29 of 1918, Luke was ultimately responsible for taking down 14 German balloons and four planes.
Luke’s commander, Maj. H.E. Hartney said of him: ‘No one had the sheer contemptuous courage that boy possessed. He was an excellent pilot and probably the best flying marksman on the Western Front.
‘We had any number of expert pilots and there was no shortage of good shots, but the perfect combination, like the perfect specimen of anything in the world, was scarce. Frank Luke was the perfect combination.’
