""It IS BAALLOOON !!!"" Topic

For us old timers That quoted is from the old TV show "F Troop". From the Chief of the Hakawee tribe upon seeing a US Army Balloon. Floating in their Direction. 🎈

All kidding aside, just saw a Pentagon Briefing about PRC civilian "Weather Balloon"[ah yes the old weather balloon a ploy !]over the USA. Right now over Montana, IRRC Malstrom USAF Base which has nuke ICBMs. The PRC didn't ask if they could fly a civilian[yeah right!] weather balloon over the USA. The Pentagon said this has happened before[?????!?].

The balloon is 2-3 Gray Hound buses long with a payload underneath full of "weather instruments" … The Payload is about the size of a Gray Hound bus too.

It is pretty clear this is a PRC/CCP surveillance aircraft.

This is/could be considered an act of war.

They violated our airspace. Which is against international law. They must know that. NO They do know that …

The PRC/CCP said it was an accident[yeah the dog ate my homework too!] I was going to say how stupid do they think we are. I think that is pretty obvious to all of us.

I think they are testing, etc. our leadership[don't get me started on that!]

They're seeing how far they can push us. They see/know the capabilities of our elected & appointed officials. You all know my assessment of that.

We can't shoot it down over our airspace, as it might fall on civilians and structures, etc. We may have to wait until it is over the ocean. But at this point, the Gov't is working on it[!?!?!]. It should have been shot down over the ocean before it got to our shores. We can say we thought is was aliens.👽 Two can make up outrageous stories, Yes ? 🛸

Are the PRC/CCP taunting us ?

The PRC/CCP asked us not to shooting it down[!?!?!!??!].

But the PRC/CCP said they were very sorry this drifted into US airspace.[Can you believe how stupid they must think we are !!!!?].

The balloon is heading East now across more of the US. … But the Pentagon says they are tracking it and gaining intel(?).

Plus, the PRC/CCP are sending enough drugs to wipeout everyone in the USA according to the CBP/DEA, etc. Thru our totally open Southern border by the Cartels, using the masses of illegal aliens as cover. IIRC Mao said on Guerilla Warfare about " swimming with the fishes". Good example here IMO.

So, IMO again, … Drugs & now this intel gathering balloon floating West to East over the entire US.

!!!!!

Legion, we could send a "trial" ballon over China's missile silos and then compare results. What are your thoughts on results? 😉

Subject: it is balloon f troop – Google Search


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Yeah … a trial balloon ! Of course … that's it !!! Do we even have balloons like that ? Sort of low tech with all the orbital assets we have. But who knows ! We know if we had a balloon come near the PRC/CCP border/islands they'd shoot it down. No apology, etc.

We have been tracking it since got near the Islands off Alaska. We should have shot it down over the water then.

The PRC/CCP is mocking us, mocking our weakness, etc., etc., from our top leadership again.

Subject: it is balloon f troop – Google Search

😄😆😆😆

Someone should email that to the Pentagon & the PRC/CCP !!! 🤩😎

Welcome back Legion! I won't get you started if I can help it!

Just watched some biased news media coverage of this, in which their military expert declined to respond to a question about whether we may have neutralized this threat. But I suspect it is possible and I was also interested in the counter-intel we could be getting – or sending, since we have had weeks to prepare for the arrival of this balloon.

As usual,I think it's a mistake to assume tabloid news knows more about this than NASA or the Pentagon. Blamer culture is how they make their money though. The Chinese love our media. They know exactly how it will respond, and just in time to weaken Blinken before the now cancelled trip. The worlds largest supply of hot air could itself power many balloons.

Can these cheapo satellites be weaponized? There is already another one on the way over Canada. They are a slap in the face and need a response, once we are done with them. I would certainly ask for a briefing on taking one into custody if it were my decision to make. All we need is 65 miles of clothesline and the NFL to pull. Maybe not, but why not grab them somehow intact as they appear?

The media also neglected our four new military bases building on the north shore of the Philippines, not far from Taiwan and the South China Sea in relation to today's news. The Chinese see this is "not weak" and are very upset, issuing dire warnings. And we opened an embassy in the Solomons where they have their own project going.

And then what if this is a balloon disguised as Chinese by aliens? The payload looks a bit like a Borg design to me. 🛸🛸🔭😵‍💫

Hmm….we've heard this Balloon story before.

The Roswell crash was officially a balloon….so is this really a UFO and the USA and China are collaborating in order to keep the news of extra-terrestrial life from the world.

And if it is an alien spaceship is it too much of a leap to suggest that they are scanning to find out what happened to all the launch pads they built with the Native Americans? And if they are doing that does that imply that there is a multi-ship fleet waiting at the edge of the solar system for the signals to come in to land?

And when these aliens who are waiting at the edge of the solar system do land will they bring the technology to undo climate change? Or will they decide it's time for a reset and start a new world flood to sweep humanity from the face of the globe.

And if they do do that will the Atlanteans finally emerge from their deep sea hibernation and reclaim the world in a titanic struggle with the alien entities?

Or………….should I stop watching so many Ancient Alien shows….?

Back to the title. Thank you for the link. I remember hearing it in my youth but the only thing I could think of was Schultz.

WE MUST NOT ALLOW A WEATHER BALOON GAP!!!!!!!

Say, what's that large X-ray shielded lead box at the heart of the harmless Chinese spy balloon?!? Inquiring minds want to know!

20th Maine it's as if you knew exactly what really happened… I bet your real name is not 20th Maine either…🫣

Stephen M that is classified intel you are talking about, it's only broadcast on cable news, and stay away from politicians' closets…

Ok we know the Japanese bomb balloons didn't work. Yet you put a nuke on it and accuracy doesn't matter. Now they know where it will drift.

No one lives in Montana, so why not try out those Lasers the public paid millions if not billions for.

Well some people live in
Montana and from that altitude stuff will go all over the place.

Remember that we used to (maybe still do) send recce balloons over the USSR. They took it seriously enough to design a dedicated anti- balloon interceptor aircraft.

which their military expert declined to respond to a question about whether we may have neutralized this threat.

The Pentagon said they are jamming the signal … I hope so.

The report is the JCS wanted to shoot it down before it made land fall. But was denied by CinC.

Hmm….we've heard this Balloon story before.

Oh yeah !

Or………….should I stop watching so many Ancient Alien shows….?

It's on now !

WE MUST NOT ALLOW A WEATHER BALOON GAP!!!!!!!

Nah, the US has them in storage at Roswell …

Bottom line add the ups to the ever growing list of US leadership blunders …

Potus was told there could be collateral damage.

CBS meteorologist Ed Russo predicted that "at current speed, the balloon will be off the coast of the Carolinas around noon" on Saturday. His analysis put the balloon as floating south of St. Louis, then through Tennessee, passing north of Nashville, then traveling into the Carolinas near Charlotte before drifting off the eastern seaboard of the U.S.

Was hoping to see it, guess not

Not sure what weight of payload the balloon could carry? But enough for a small EMP---that could spoil a lot of Americans day!

Potus was told there could be collateral damage.

Yes, but it could have been shot down before it reached landfall over the ocean. The US, NORAD, etc. had picked it up off the Islands Alaska days ago.

Of course, both nations have orbital assets … so why use a balloon ?

FYI- FOX is showing live footage of the balloon now.

"The US, NORAD, etc. had picked it up off the Islands Alaska days ago."

Legion Damn#t man! There could have been endangered Polar Bears, stranded by the scourge of global warming off those islands you were wanting that balloon shot down over! Where is your compassion man! 😉🙂🎈

Well the polar bear is one of the few animals that think humans are food …

"Save the Whales" … unless they are off the US East Coast where they wash up on shore. Has something to do with windmills being constructed off the coast, I've heard ?

Chinese didn't have any issues knocking our spy plane down in 2001, dismantling the plane and keeping he secrets on it and holding our men for 11 days.

"The Hainan Island incident occurred on April 1, 2001, when a United States Navy EP-3E ARIES II signals intelligence aircraft and a People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) J-8II interceptor fighter jet collided in mid-air, resulting in an international dispute between the United States and the People's Republic of China (PRC)."

"New: Pentagon says another Chinese spy balloon is currently transiting Latin America. Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said in a statement to CNN, "We are seeing reports of a balloon transiting Latin America. We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon."

Passing over Tennessee. Looking for Elvis

Another?

Subject: City of Billings reports first responders not called out to any incidents related to reported ‘explosion' in the sky | News | kulr8.com


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Weather instruments?

New covid-spreading, anthrax, or bird-flu spreading device, EMP, etc., etc.?

Demonstrated weakness begets aggression.

Ya know, I have no idea what I'm talking about here, but I gotta call BS on the collateral damage excuse. We can figure out the trajectories to send satellites millions of miles to rendezvous and touch down safely on other planets, but we can't calculate the variables to know exactly when to bring the balloon down so that it doesn't far into populated regions?

Another failing of our weak-willed leadership….

And I don't care if we took 'counter-measures' to prevent it from gathering data. And I don't care that it didn't gather anything that PRC spy satellites couldn't get. This is a test and in the eyes of the PRC, the world and the American public, we failed…

So, wondering if one wanted to bring it down, how could it be done? Being a helium balloon piercing it will at least bring it down some if not totally if multiple bags

Comments at the bottom of article are interesting in some cases. But it is the Chinese year of the Rabbit and it should make a good meal for an Eagle. Hopefully we are still Eagles and are not controlled by a different barnyard bird. 😉

Subject: China spy balloon shows country is preparing citizens for war that could come at ‘any time': expert

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And the view from the other side of the table from my previous post, is only fair.

Subject: Chinese spy balloon poses 'no imminent danger,' top Foreign Affairs Democrat says


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So… I am in favor of the shoot down response , but I want to know how it is done. When our balloons were sent over the USSR in the 50s we also told them theywere just some weather balloons, but the Soviets went crazy over it and designed an anti balloon missle. But those balloons became obsolete with the advent of satellites.

Our current balloons operate at around 120,000 feet, not accessible to fighters. When the Canadians tried to shoot down a Chinese balloon 25 years ago, they riddled it with a thousand 20 mm cannon shells, switched to rockets, which just passed through the thin membrane. You cannot deflate them by making some holes.

So, how do you do it? All that ordinance from the Canadians had to land somewhere, that is part of the collateral damage issue. If you target the payload with a guided missile, the debris will eventually land. Bringing it down to land in a specfic area from that altitude sound daunting even if you do manage to shoot it down.

There are rumors that this has happened before over US air space. True or false?

The balloons have derailed an historic meeting that both sides wanted and took much time and effort to pull off. Did the announcement of the new US bases on the northern coast the Philippines very close to Taiwan and the South China Sea anger the Chinese enough to pull this stunt?
Somebody sure wanted to end the reapproachment meetings.

Would it look even worse if we had trouble shooting it down or there were civilian casualties? I hope somebody is working on this question for the next time so we can make a clean, impressive strike.

A little humor for the moment

"Since "Chinese Spy Balloon" is trending: In 1945, the crew of USS New York spotted a sphere that they thought might be a Japanese balloon weapon. The captain ordered it shot down but none of the guns could score a hit. Finally, a navigator realized they were attacking Venus."

Ha! Imagine the hubbub this would cause today! In the meantime, how do you shoot down the Chinese balloon and make it look like it's a walk in the park for us? Cause if it's not that easy we look even worse. It seems like a targeted missile might be best. Where does the debris land from that altitude?

Read article the balloon was traveling at 60,000 feet, so seems within highest altitude of a fighter so should have been easy to reach.

Nashville +1 !!!

the balloon was traveling at 60,000 feet

IIRC a couple of F-22s were launched to observe or intercept. If fighters couldn't shoot it down I'd think we have SAMs that could take it out. Again, it should have been KO'd over the ocean. Before it crossed into our air space. Over the Aleutians, etc. or in an unpopulated area of Alaska. I think we want to get the devices in the payload. So overland would make it a lot easier. Betting the payload has some US tech. I'd think we'd want to get this balloon & payload for intel.

Note: the US had used "balloons" over A'stan for intel, etc. purposes. So we have "balloon" tech. Balloons have a lot of loiter time. So I don't think as some in the media, etc. mentioned there may be a balloon "gap"… I don't think that is true.

Former SecDef Mark Esper interviewed this morning, said it may be the PRC Military launched this without Xi's OK ? That could be an "interesting" scenario, if true.

As I have said, the Pentagon reported they are "jamming" the device so it can't send intel back to the PRC/CCP.

Another Chinese "weather" balloon has been reporter over Venezuela.

This is clearly a Chinese "plan" to have this seen. As they have like us have orbital assets that can do the same job AFAIK.

What is the PRC/CCP reasons for this obvious balloon flights ?

If we are jamming it, they now know we have the tech to do so. I'd think they'd know that already ?

Is this a diversion, feint, demonstration, etc. ?

Are they testing, mocking, etc. the USA's top leadership ? I think those reasons may be valid. They again are making it clear to everyone, they can enter US airspace for intel gathering, etc. and the weak Betas, etc., of our leaders are allowing it.

They are taking a Big Dump 💩💩💩 in USA's yard and we are letting them …

Just like with COVID, the Chinese drugs coming across our open Southern Border, and now the intel gathering Balloon. Sounds like they the US gov't has failed in its #1 mission – protecting its own people. And they PRC/CCP knows it.

Just heard the Balloon has been flying at 30,000ft. also … that makes it an easier target. But they seem confident we won't shoot it down. I hope the Pentagon has a plan to deal with this. Will the current leadership allow the US Military to execute this "Top Secret" plan. If in fact we have a plan ?

The PRC/CCP is the Predator i.e. the wolves and we are the sheep … This is embarrassing to me and I'm sure others who have in their youth have taken an oath to defend our Nation against enemies both foreign & domestic. A very, very sad state of affairs …

Well, no answers to any of my questions, I guess.

I get the shameful vibe we all get from this, but I am interested in the tech parts of the solution and the geopolitical games at play here related to recents developments in the Pacific strategic situation.

In another post I mentioned how the Canadians had trouble shooting one of these down in the late 90s. Is there a way to get one down intact, more or less? That's the real objective IMO You can't just shoot holes in in like it's WW1.

And the Chinese knew they were wrecking the summit that THEY had worked so hard to get. Ticked off about the new bases within easy reach of Taiwan and South China Sea?

And now, an apology from China. Lest you think this means nothing, they hardly ever do this, it embarrassing for them in a different way than it is for us.

We have a lot of political yelling going on while I think military defense tech people have been working out a way to grab this balloon. Meanwhile on the ground citizens have been asked not to try shooting down the balloon themselves….

I have heard multiple military people say this is navigable. If so, why haven't the Chinese steered out of our air space as quickly as possible, instead of a cross country "Around the World in 80 Days" trip?

If these are are so difficult to bring down (if not impossible based on the Canadian F18's attempt), and we fear civilian casualties, what happens the next time? What will they load them with next time? What if they send tens, hundreds, thousands?

We know what the Chinese, Russians and North Koreans would do if we penetrated their air space. We have precedence based on 2001 to take any action we deem necessary.

Right now China is testing out our administration and they are found wanting. China does nothing without a reason.

Remember there is another of these floating below the border.

Subject: Joe Biden Should Be Embarrassed By That Chinese Spy Balloon – 19FortyFive


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Seems to me as said everywhere reports are its at 60,000 feet, and not above a high performance fighter to reach, hitting it isn't a problem, can't see why guns couldn't be used to hole the balloon to start bringing it down.

I thinks it's the sheer volume, and the skin is the thickness of a plastic
sandwich bag. The Canadians put over a thousand holes the size of a half dollar in one and got nowhere. The rockets just went right through it.

I don't know what the weather is like at 60,000 ft. It was minus 30F here in the New England hills last night with the high winds and we spent most of it without power. The weather continues to be extreme everywhere. Maybe these things are not that easy to fly.

I think we will learn more in a day or two.

I'm sure if two F-22 buzzed it at Mach 1.5 the shock wave would destroy it.
Gee what happened the last time the US looked weak.
We need leadership that places defense above Wok!

US ARMY GEN Ret. Kellog on FOX was just interviewed. Appears the plan is :

2 KC-130s are in the air for refueling if need be.

2 F-22s, they can go to 65,000ft. will take off from an USAF base. To intercept/shoot the Chicom Balloon, over the waters off East Coast. Maybe off the Carolines.

A USN LSD with 30 Ton Crane will recover the downed package.

Again at least 2 US ARMY GENs Ret. [Kean & Kellog] said the US leadership, was again "a day late & a dollar short."… NORAD, etc., saw this when it left the PRC. The US could have taken it out in the waters near the Aleutians. Before it flew across the USA and many of our Military bases, etc.

US ARMY GEN Ret. Kean on FOX just said, "This is inexcusable." … I totally agree, obviously …

The Open Borders, A'stan and now the Chicom Balloon … What's next?

The balloon has just been taken down off the Carolinas. The balloon is slowly heading for the ground. The LSD will recover it according to the plan.

GEN. ret Kean just said this should have been done as it approached to the Aleutians …

The USA leadership is looking weak, confused, amateurish, etc. and all our enemies and allies can see this …

Now it is shot down.

YouTube link

Will the government try and retrieve it or wish it out to sea?

So, which of our several enemies is going to take us out because we look so weak and foolish? Who will step up and think, "No problem, it's Biden, we can do what we want. We saw it all on cable news and Russian tv."

What foreign generals gather intel on the US by watching cable and conclude we are a second or third rate power? Where would they get this idea?

Why don't our leaders tell everybody in the world what they are doing and why right away? The must not be real leaders.

Which of our allies is thinking they should be looking for someone else?

Whose military is telling their subordinates, "we can take these guys, no leadership." ? Our leadership is baked in, it is institutional. It can survive any train wreck of political posturing

What Russian politician is telling Putin that Biden has given away all our munitions to Ukraine and does not have enough left? After all he read it on the internet, saw it on able news.

I still think our geopolitical situation is dominant, but apparently many people feel this is gone. I have spent a lot of time trying to learn about our capabilities here, and those of our enemies. The opinions about the country's top soldiers and advisors, and a commander who takes the hits for any and every complaint actually makes no human sense. Good decisions and bad, we are better than this. I am not going to equate the country's leadership with political @#$& if I want to know how our carrier pilots stack up against China's after woke training. My time here is up.

From news reports, it landed in 36ft of water, so easily salvageable… ;-)

Tortorella: The Canadians put over a thousand holes the size of a half dollar in one and got nowhere. The rockets just went right through it.

Advances in technology solved the problem with one missile.

"President Joe Biden tried to take a victory lap Saturday afternoon after the U.S. military shot down a Chinese spy balloon that Biden allowed to travel across the entire country before destroying.
Biden claimed in remarks to reporters that he "ordered the Pentagon to shoot it down on Wednesday as soon as possible," but that the decision was made to not shoot it down over land because debris could cause damage when falling to the ground.

U.S. officials were reportedly "well aware" that the balloon had crossed into American airspace on January 28 and that it was over Idaho on Tuesday, but decided not to inform the public to not upend Secretary of State Antony Blinken's diplomatic trip to China.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that the spy ballon was sent to the U.S. "in an attempt to surveil strategic sites in the continental United States."
Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), the Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee and a member of the Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that Biden should have taken out the balloon much sooner "over remote areas of Alaska or Montana.""