Pentagon tracking suspected Chinese spy balloon over the US

[casual]

probably just some amateur highschool project. US reaction is funny

 

[jhungary]

probably just some amateur highschool project. US reaction is funny

lol, chance of that making it thru the entire pacific into CONUS is extremely low, unless Chinese taught advance fluid dynamic and anything that can make it happen in high scool..

This is not some High School project that went haywire to have travel 11,000 mile where even COMAIR won't generally do because trans pacific flight usually would encounter adverse weather, and then stray into the state where the highest nuclear silo/area in the entire US due to it's close proximity of the Rockies??

Yes, it's sure as hell funny to have believe all those odds against a high school project and the high school project prevailed.

And yes, someone do said that to me when I was in Military Intelligence back in early 2000s. So I don't know what's funnier, Chinese still keep doing that? Or Chinese still have a lot of those "High School Project" beating the odds and travel all the way to the US....

 

[epebble]

No, I mean the equipment of an RC-135 can only be stalled on a 40ft trailer. I don't know what that Ballon is for, maybe they have less capability than a RC-135? I don't even know if that is actually for RF surveillance, what I do know is Pentagon resist to shoot it down while it was over Montana, which means the balloon is big enough to be a concern as much as whether pentagon willing to shoot down an intruding Chinese Jet fear the debris would cause massive damage in populated area. So I would say maybe they aren't as big, but they are big enough to cause a concern.

On the other hand, you can visually distinguish a spy balloon with a weather balloon, because the wind speed gauge (or anemometers) is very distinctive and have to be put on the outside, you really can't miss it, and I don't see it on the alleged picture of said balloon.


sure, what are the odds that new year balloon followed a flight path that visited Aleutian island and then traverse all the way toward CONUS from Beijing that way randomly depending on wind direction and speed???

View attachment 914770

I sincerely hope you are joking here......

Montana is mostly empty. If it is a threat to national security, it can be easily shot down without hurting even a cow. Also, what were they doing when it was near Alaska and then Pacific coast. Heck, we have a $100 Billion missile defense system. It is meant to track and neutralize ICBMs and this target is like a whale. This story makes no sense anyway you see it.

 

[Krptonite]

if one needs an 18wheeler truck then how come Indians keep arresting Pakistani pigeons and shoot down Pakistani origin escaped/stray hobby balloons nearing indian border with air to air and ground to air missiles? honest! not joking

Resp sir,
There's a difference between the Chinese and the Pakistanis, mostly prominently the flag and the geographic location of each country. Their hearts may be one but the similarities do end there.

I understand your bonds of friendship are unmatched in history but for some reason you're conflating others success with your own.

Nothing wrong in it, why it was only yesterday that our entire country was celebrating the fifa world cup win. It didn't matter than our team was no where near in the competition, their win was our win and many celebrated as if christmas came early, we now know finally whats it like to win a world cup and we wont let our filthy neighbors forget that they are now speaking with world cup champions.

We call such interesting display of fraternity with the adage 'Shah se zyada Shah ka wafadar'

 

[jhungary]

Montana is mostly empty. If it is a threat to national security, it can be easily shot down without hurting even a cow. Also, what were they doing when it was near Alaska and then Pacific coast. Heck, we have a $100 Billion missile defense system. It is meant to track and neutralize ICBMs and this target is like a whale. This story makes no sense anyway you see it.

Can't tell you why (Unless you have TS/SCI clearance or above) but Montana make sense, again, the most I can tell you is that it is a hot bed for surveillance activities due to its proximity to the Rocky Mountain (actually, along the entire line is all hot bed for monitoring activities and if you know why they put NORAD in Colorado Spring, then you will know why) but I really cannot tell you why it was of important intelligence value. Again, a high rise mountain, a sparse population, away from privy eyes on, no one watches what you are doing in those land, can you think of anything that you want to spy on those area? I can think of A LOT....

I think the story is not that we didn't detect that balloon on their way here, the story is why the Pentagon is telling you they are coming in now, when I was in Military Intelligence, we already knew these kinds of activities, there are actually quite frequent to have Chinese Ballon fly over hitting and missing NORAD, but the government never tell anyone about it, why now? That probably is where the real story goes.

 

[kuge]

US sends spy planes around china what is the problem china sends her spy ballon?

 

[jhungary]

US sends spy planes around china what is the problem china sends her spy ballon?

They key word is AROUND China, it never went INSIDE CHINESE AIRSPACE, well, except that time when that EP-3 got hit by Chinese J-8 and landed in Hainan.

This balloon is ON TOP OF US SOIL. Technically, this can already be considered as an aggressive act of war. You never fly over someone airspace without that airspace granting you permission to enter, I don't think US FAA granted Chinese entrant right on that balloon. Which mean this balloon is actively VIOLATING SOVEREIGN US AIRSPACE RIGHT NOW.

If this balloon crashed and killed either American or Canadian, this would be a giant international incident. As much as when that U-2 was shot down by USSR.

 

[doorstar]

Resp sir,
There's a difference between the Chinese and the Pakistanis, mostly prominently the flag and the geographic location of each country. Their hearts may be one but the similarities do end there.

I understand your bonds of friendship are unmatched in history but for some reason you're conflating others success with your own.

Nothing wrong in it, why it was only yesterday that our entire country was celebrating the fifa world cup win. It didn't matter than our team was no where near in the competition, their win was our win and many celebrated as if christmas came early, we now know finally whats it like to win a world cup and we wont let our filthy neighbors forget that they are now speaking with world cup champions.

We call such interesting display of fraternity with the adage 'Shah se zyada Shah ka wafadar'

my question was and still remains unanswered: why do you keep arresting Pakistani pigeons and shooting down stray balloon near the border with nothing in them?

 

[Krptonite]

my question was and still remains unanswered: why do you keep arresting Pakistani pigeons and shooting down stray balloon near the border with nothing in them?

Its because we are paranoid.

Better egg on our faces with shooting down baloons and pigeons than a repeat of a terror attack.

Given the similarity in those circumstances, are you honestly telling me a suspicious baloon floating from the Indian side over to yours doesn't  raise any hackles?

Now if you don't mind me asking a question in turn, whats with Pakistani posters over here crowning over Chinese accomplishments, I don't get it, can you explain?

 

[casual]

lol, chance of that making it thru the entire pacific into CONUS is extremely low, unless Chinese taught advance fluid dynamic and anything that can make it happen in high scool..

This is not some High School project that went haywire to have travel 11,000 mile where even COMAIR won't generally do because trans pacific flight usually would encounter adverse weather, and then stray into the state where the highest nuclear silo/area in the entire US due to it's close proximity of the Rockies??

Yes, it's sure as hell funny to have believe all those odds against a high school project and the high school project prevailed.

And yes, someone do said that to me when I was in Military Intelligence back in early 2000s. So I don't know what's funnier, Chinese still keep doing that? Or Chinese still have a lot of those "High School Project" beating the odds and travel all the way to the US....

what adverse weather? at that altitude it's constant temperature. also it's an unpowered balloon so it'll just go where the wind blows.

 

[jhungary]

what adverse weather? at that altitude it's constant temperature. also it's an unpowered balloon so it'll just go where the wind blows.

Again, sure, it just happened to "visit" Aleutian Island and follow a steady flight path since at least 2000 when I was in the MIltiary, are that that many "High School Project" over the year??

And how do you know what type of altitude it went thru, you probably will know how high they were when they were on top on Montana, that does not mean they have the same bearing and altitude during their trans-pacific "flight". And since when did you use Solar Panel in high school project?? Wow your high school must be rich or maybe solar panel is really nothing in China? I don't know

And then you are telling me the US government response is funny? Well, not as funny as your explanation tho.

 

[casual]

Again, sure, it just happened to "visit" Aleutian Island and follow a steady flight path since at least 2000 when I was in the MIltiary, are that that many "High School Project" over the year??

And how do you know what type of altitude it went thru, you probably will know how high they were when they were on top on Montana, that does not mean they have the same bearing and altitude during their trans-pacific "flight". And since when did you use Solar Panel in high school project?? Wow your high school must be rich or maybe solar panel is really nothing in China? I don't know

And then you are telling me the US government response is funny? Well, not as funny as your explanation tho.

what lol? are solar panels some secret tech now? you can dozens on amazon for $50

and again, it's a unpowered balloon. The altitude depends on air density.

 

[jhungary]

what lol? are solar panels some secret tech now? you can dozens on amazon for $50

are you really that thick?

why would you put solar panel if your balloon is unpowered? Are you telling me they have a lightbulb inside that balloon they want to light? And if so, why you need 20 or more panel?? It's unpowered and no electronic on that as you claim, then why it has more solar panel then my home?

My home is on a 2000W system, it only has 8 panels

 

[Bilal9]

No one has confirmed whether this is a manned platform.

If it is flying above airliner traffic then that is easily 45,000 feet plus (15000 metres plus) altitude. If it is a manned platform, they'd need oxygen and and pressurization device. What are the solar panels powering?

 

[Yaoudelizard]

It’s aliens! American are so paranoid it’s funny. If it was why don’t you shoot it down?