BREAKING BALLOON NEWS: The alleged Chinese "spy balloon" which flew over the US this week and captured the nation's attention was shot down on Saturday by an F-22 fighter pilot using a $400,000 AIM-9 Sidewinder missile.

"NEW: senior defense official tells me an F22 fighter jet fired a single shot at the Chinese spy balloon in U.S. air space over Atlantic Ocean," Pentagon stenographer Jennifer Griffin reported. "The F22s flew from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia. Senior US military official says 1 air to air missile fired by F22 at 58,000 feet (an A9X missile) brought down China spy balloon. The balloon was at 60-65,000 feet when shot."

NEW: senior defense official tells me an F22 fighter jet fired a single shot at the Chinese spy balloon in U.S. air space over Atlantic Ocean. The F22s flew from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.

— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) February 4, 2023

Senior US military official says 1 air to air missile fired by F22 at 58,000 feet (an A9X missile) brought down China spy balloon. The balloon was at 60-65,000 feet when shot.

— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) February 4, 2023

Each AIM-9 sidewinder costs around $400,000, according to Wikipedia.

Yes, the US could have shot the balloon down with some low-cost bullets and potentially recovered its electronics but this balloon was trying to take our freedoms and had to pay.