This is how wussy we have become. We are not willing to shoot down a spy baloon – both to remove it from spying and to make it clear to the Chinese that we will respond to their spying with force – because of the miniscule chance it will land on someone in one of the most sparsley populated states in out nation. We are failing as a nation
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is tracking a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that has been spotted over U.S. airspace for a couple days, but the Pentagon decided not to shoot it down due to the risk of harming people on the ground, officials said Thursday. The discovery of the balloon puts a further strain on U.S.-China relations at a time of heightened tensions.
A senior defense official told Pentagon reporters that the U.S. has “very high confidence” it is a Chinese high-altitude balloon and it was flying over sensitive sites to collect information. One of the places the balloon was spotted was Montana, which is home to one of the nation’s three nuclear missile silo fields at Malmstrom Air Force Base. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information.
It’s probably just got another 10% for the big guy. Not actually “spying”.
Looks like a long range radiosonde observation balloon for collecting data on winds aloft. The suspended solar array likely powers the radio transmission of collected data to satellites or ground stations. Typical NWS radiosondes only stay aloft for a few hours before the instrument package parachutes back to the ground. This one looks to be built to travel along jet streams, which means control of its path at +80,000′ is absolutely minimal. It goes where the winds aloft go.
Why doesn’t Biden just put a big “We surrender” billboard up?
Pathetic.
Damn. My 30-06 won’t reach 80K feet.
Second one floating over Costa Rica.
Looks like a long range radiosonde observation balloon for collecting data on winds aloft
And Huawei is just a comm company.
Daddio, your 30-06 would probably be the best way to bring this down. Better yet, a .22 varmint rifle. A single shot would would produce two small clean holes to slowly deflate the thing. A chopper could snag it out of the air once it reached 10k ft or so. As noted, the AF wanted to send up an F-22 but even the shortest burst of that fighter’s 20mm Gatling gun would rip it to shreds. Blowing it out of the sky – or “shoot it down” as everyone is shouting – is NOT what should be done. You want those instruments intact if it can be done.
Of course, Comrade BiZen has no intention of doing so.
General Milley called his friends in China and they said it was only a weather balloon so what is everyone worried about?
Or you could shoot the balloon down 6 miles off the North Carolina coast and not hit anything but water .
What’s the point, Maley, they already collected what they wanted
Or you could do what SHOULD have been done: blast it out of the sky before it hit Alaska.
Of course, then the Chinese would know a lot more about our defense systems and methods.
I wonder why the Pentagon didn’t call the spy ballon experts on this board for advice who have perfect knowledge of all thing military
from their basement