Pentagon releases selfie taken by US U-2 pilot showing Chinese spy balloon in air

Washington:  The Pentagon has released a selfie taken in the cockpit of a U-2 spy plane, as an Air Force pilot flew above the large suspected Chinese surveillance balloon before it was shot down by the US military this month.

The selfie image, taken by the pilot of the U-2 on February 3, shows the shadow of the aircraft on the balloon and a clear image of the balloon’s payload as it crossed across the continental United States.

The balloon, carrying a payload the size of three coach buses, was first spotted by the US military on January 28 and ultimately shot down by a US Air Force fighter jet off the coast of South Carolina on February 4 after crossing the country