HOS ROSEBUD

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Offshore ship enroute to crash site of downed Chinese spy balloon

The 'HOS Rosebud' sailed from the Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story in Norfolk, Virginia, in the afternoon of Feb 8, 2023, bound for the crash site of the Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina. The 'HOS Rosebud' will bring more complex salvage UUVs and other systems that can bring larger pieces of debris to the surface. The surveillance package slung under the envelope of the balloon was thought to weigh several thousand pounds. Since the 200-foot balloon and its commuter jet-sized surveillance package underneath were shot down on Feeb 4 by an Air Force F-22 Raptor, Navy divers, warships and Coast Guard cutters have been on station around the debris field, Pentagon officials said. The balloon crashed in about 50 feet of water inside territorial waters just off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. On Feb 8, the amphibious warship USS 'Carter Hall (LSD-50)' and the patrol vessel USCGC 'Yellowfin (WPB-87319)' were near the shootdown site. The Coast Guard cutters USCGC 'Venturous (WMEC-625)', USCGC 'Richard Snyder (WPC-1127)' and USCGC 'Nathan B. Bruckenthal (WPC-1128)' were assisting in patrolling the debris field. The Navy surveillance ship USNS 'Pathfinder (T-AGS-60)', the guided-missile destroyer USS 'Oscar Austin (DDG-79)' and the guided-missile cruiser USS 'Philippine Sea (CG-58)' were on scene just after the crash but have since departed. In the evening of Feb 8, the USNS 'Pathfinder' was steaming north off the coast of North Carolina On Feb 7 the sea state permitted divers and explosives ordnance technicians to conduct underwater salvage and recovery, and underwater survey activities continue using unmanned underwater vehicles. The USS 'Carter Hall' remained in the vicinity of the debris field and was leading the recovery efforts. U.S. Coast Guard cutters continued to provide security, and the FBI and NCIS agents continued their work cataloging debris and transporting it for further processing.