Pentagon tracking suspected Chinese spy balloon over the US

Using my best voice from the movie "Matrix", What if I told you the balloon wasn't looking for anything, it was just listening. And all of our various radar tracking systems lighting off and tracking it were being recorded and tracked by satellites for later use.

This is like an international version of Pink Panther versus Cato. You think you're the one hunting until you see you were the prey.
 
This looks like a job for a space shuttle door gunner, but is there a way to:

-Snag it out of the air at 60,000 feet? Don't we have anything that can carry a person, hover and maneuver at 60,000 feet? I bet there is some design in a 40 year old Popular Science magazine.

or

-Put a small hole in it to allow it to come to earth gently, like a hot air balloon? Again, I'm thinking a stable platform from which to shoot a .22 or a crossbow.

or

-Somehow arrest its fall if it makes a rapid descent to earth? I remember the whole 32 ft. per second per second from 8th grade physical science class.
 
Seeing reports that it's down. Possibly related, possibly not, an E-4B callsign SPICE98 is currently over North Carolina.
 
Korab said:
The gov’t was finally shamed into shooting the damn thing down. How long would an American spy balloon last over China?

What an embarrassment. They constantly test our resolve, and we show how little we have.
Click to expand...
Thank goodness the shame hit when the ballon was over water so that the military could bring it down without posing an undue risk to people on the ground as they had been advising. That was lucky!
 
Korab said:
The gov’t was finally shamed into shooting the damn thing down. How long would an American spy balloon last over China?

What an embarrassment. They constantly test our resolve, and we show how little we have.
Click to expand...
shame :)

So the same thing happened 3 times with the previous admin and the American public was never informed and nothing was shot down.

This time we did show them “our resolve” we actually acted.

Unlike the 3 times before under Trump and once before under Biden when our resolve was less vigorous and we just watched then hid the fact from the American public.

.https://www.businessinsider.com/conservatives-blame-biden-chinese-spy-balloon-crossed-into-us-trump-2023-2

politics as usual.
 
These articles from leftist publishers claiming “that other guy did it too” after getting lambasted in the press for a week are as laughable as the claim that the balloon couldn’t be shot down over Montana because it’s so densely populated.

Apparently, we can refuel planes at 30k’ but snagging a “weather balloon” is beyond our technical capabilities.

And why are you injecting a political party into this? It’s embarrassing no matter which side did it.
 
I injected no political party into this. I said it has happened under this admin and the last one. But it was this admin that did something (that we the public can actually see) about it.

what was done about the last 3 under trump or the previous one under biden I have not a clue. Like you I know what gets told to the American public.

embarrassed? shame? You can certainly speak for yourself .
 
Its laughable that the guy who shut down all travel to and from China on January 29 2020, a couple of months before Covid blew up inside the US ( the action which if you recall drew harsh criticism from our current president who accused our then president of engaging in xenophobia) , would not have acted swiftly and publicly if they attempt this under his watch. Laughable.
 
Small Team Bacsi said:
I injected no political party into this. I said it has happened under this admin and the last one. But it was this admin that did something (that we the public can actually see) about it.

what was done about the last 3 under trump or the previous one under biden I have not a clue. Like you I know what gets told to the American public.
Click to expand...
There are plenty from the prior administration that refute this anonymous source to the media.

I would wait for credentialed sources on the record.

What fascinates me is the pattern of spying by China. Affairs with Intelligence House committee, U Penn, chauffeur judiciary committees, university’s infiltration, stealing IP, etc.
 
Mdm26 said:
Its laughable that the guy who shut down all travel to and from China on January 29 2020, a couple of months before Covid blew up inside the US ( the action which if you recall drew harsh criticism from our current president who accused our then president of engaging in xenophobia) , would not have acted swiftly and publicly if they attempt this under his watch. Laughable.
Click to expand...
but unnamed sources on the internet say it happened, so it must be true.
 
A1Janitor said:
There are plenty from the prior administration that refute this anonymous source to the media.

I would wait for credentialed sources on the record.

What fascinates me is the pattern of spying by China. Affairs with Intelligence House committee, U Penn, chauffeur judiciary committees, university’s infiltration, stealing IP, etc.
Click to expand...
Anonymous source on this happening before ? :)

It was a DoD press release.

.https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3287173/dod-statement-on-high-altitude-surveillance-balloon/
 
I agree. Now that you mention it I recall Trump calling Covid the China virus over and over.
His response may very well have been something overly aggressive but there is no chance it would have been to do nothing. Or for that matter, allow the ballon to complete its mission by passing over the entire country before doing something.

There was plenty of opportunities to take it out when it was over non populated areas with no risk to people or property.
 
While the POTUS gives the ultimate order as to whether to shoot down something like a spy balloon, he/she almost ALWAYS abides by the recommendations of his military advisors. For those who think this balloon should have been forced/shot down sooner, are you questioning the Pentagon? Are you saying POTUS ignored their advice? C’mon now. This was a consensus decision by best military minds in the country. Don’t politicize it.
 
That horse was released from the barn by Small team. Personally I think this president would do what he wants use the pentagon for political cover.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top