Reviews & Ratings for the Usns-Pathfinder

On February 6, 2023, at approximately 10 a.m., a fleet of underwater drones equipped with side-scan sonar arrays was deployed to meticulously map the crash site of the Chinese spy balloon that was shot down over the Atlantic Ocean. The USS 'Pathfinder' played a crucial role in this operation, utilizing its advanced sonar technology to chart the underwater terrain. Complementing its efforts, the USS 'Carter Hall (LSD-50)', alongside the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 and an unidentified tugboat, supported recovery operations near Myrtle Beach. In the vicinity, the guided-missile destroyer USS 'Oscar Austin (DDG-79)' and the guided-missile cruiser USS 'Philippine Sea (CG-58)' were also engaged, both armed with the AN/SPY-1 air search radar to monitor the area. The U.S. Coast Guard reinforced the mission by dispatching the USCGC 'Venturous (WMEC-625)', USCGC 'Richard Snyder (WPC-1127)', and USCGC 'Nathan B. Bruckenthal (WPC-1128)' to aid in the recovery efforts. An additional commercial offshore support vessel, the OSV 'HOS Rosebud', has been stationed at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, VA, since January 6, to enhance operation capabilities. The U.S. military embarked on this underwater mission to retrieve remnants of the downed balloon, seeking critical information about China’s long-term surveillance initiatives. This high-altitude balloon incident marked at least the third instance of similar balloon overflights over the continental U.S. within the last six years, with the previous incidents evading detection until the event last week. The Pentagon is intent on gathering new insights into China’s surveillance practices from the debris recovered, notably from the balloon that an Air Force F-22 Raptor fighter jet had downed using an AIM-9X Sidewinder missile from an altitude of 58,000 feet off the Carolina coast. As most debris has already been collected from the water's surface, Navy search teams are concentrating their efforts on locating components of the balloon's surveillance apparatus, which are thought to be submerged. The debris field is reportedly located in less than 50 feet of water, although adverse weather conditions delayed underwater operations until the recent morning of February 6. The balloon itself, estimated to stand at 200 feet in height, carried a payload comparable in size to a regional jet beneath it. The complexity of the recovery operation is amplified by concerns regarding hazardous materials potentially present in the balloon's structure, including elements used in batteries or possible explosives. Assistance from the FBI is part of the salvage operation, which operates under counterintelligence protocols. Recovery teams aim to determine whether the balloon possessed any surveillance capabilities beyond the information obtained by U.S. monitors during its four-day flight across the nation.