Alleged Chinese Spy Balloon Hovering Over Montana

[The Deadman]

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/montana-sen-daines-alarmed-chinese-spy-balloon-infiltration-calls-senate-briefing

Montana’s Republican Senator Steve Daines sent a letter to the Department of Defense (DOD) demanding answers on the suspected Chinese spy balloon spotted above his state.

Daines sent a late letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday amid reports of the suspected surveillance balloon over U.S. airspace.

The Montana Republican called the high-altitude Chinese balloon a "concerning event" and told Austin that the "fact that this balloon was occupying Montana airspace creates significant concern that Malmstrom Air Force Base (AFB) and the United State’s intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) fields are the targets of this intelligence gathering mission."

Daines wrote that given "the serious nature of the event," he is "requesting a full security briefing from the administration on this situation."

"It is vital to establish the flight path of this balloon, any compromised U.S. national security assets, and all telecom or IT infrastructure on the ground within the U.S. that this spy balloon was utilizing," the letter reads.

"As you know, Montana plays a vital national security role by housing nuclear missile silos at Malmstrom AFB," the senator continued.

"Given the increased hostility and destabilization around the globe aimed at the United States and our allies, I am alarmed by the fact that this spy balloon was able to infiltrate the airspace of our country and Montana," he added.

[Andrew NDB]

Well that's pretty concerning. Yikes.

[Roseangelo]

And for some reason we're just letting it float along?

[Cowabung-Gal]

We’re too busy giving Ukraine billions of dollars and screaming at each other over gender ideology to notice foreign spy balloons floating above our country.

Pathetic and scary.

[Sumac]

We’re too busy giving Ukraine billions of dollars and screaming at each other over gender ideology to notice foreign spy balloons floating above our country.

Pathetic and scary.
Reed Richards would be proud of this reaching.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

We’re too busy giving Ukraine billions of dollars and screaming at each other over gender ideology to notice foreign spy balloons floating above our country.

The former is arguably not a distraction since the War in Ukraine is just as crucial to the Anti-Communist effort as internal security issues.

[ChosenOne]

Well, what do you know? Trump was right. Again.

We’re too busy giving Ukraine billions of dollars and screaming at each other over gender ideology to notice foreign spy balloons floating above our country.

Pathetic and scary.

Nothing wrong with fighting communism both abroad and at home. There's plenty to go around, sadly.

[Vegita-San]

We’re too busy giving Ukraine billions of dollars and screaming at each other over gender ideology to notice foreign spy balloons floating above our country.

Pathetic and scary.

So, while i'm not a fan of sending billions over too anyone, especially sketchy democrat billions.... The Ukraine did get invaded and are getting pummled. what's wrong with supporting them?

[IMJ]

And for some reason we're just letting it float along?

Mitch McConnel was calling for a debriefing and intel session on this and there are leftists whose commentary about that was that the balloon should open up and drop $#!( on McConnel. Dumbest generation of people to ever walk the Earth.

And we have such a clown-government in place, elected by clown-society that China is brazen enough to do this. There is. A Chinese. Asset. Flying over America. And we are observing it.

This was a message from China - there is no way they sent that thing over thinking that we wouldn't see it. And so, it was sent to send a message. And the modern-$#!(bag wants to use it as commentary about an aging Republican who believes it should be investigated.

We’re too busy giving Ukraine billions of dollars and screaming at each other over gender ideology to notice foreign spy balloons floating above our country.

Pathetic and scary.

Oh no. No no no. We noticed. And so it's clearly worse than that.

[Sumac]

Mitch McConnel was calling for a debriefing and intel session on this and there are leftists whose commentary about that was that the balloon should open up and drop $#!( on McConnel. Dumbest generation of people to ever walk the Earth.
And next time it might not be just a spy-thing...
But, nah, hating on China is a "Sinophobia". And commies are nice guys. And rumors about China being a totalitarian genocidal state are just rumors. And...

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Well, what do you know? Trump was right. Again.



Nothing wrong with fighting communism both abroad and at home. There's plenty to go around, sadly.

Russia is not Communist. But you can blame current conditions on Communism, since the ultranationalism and obsession with money we see in Russia today is a counter reaction to 74 years of Communism (1917–1991).

[IMJ]

And next time it might not be just a spy-thing...
But, nah, hating on China is a "Sinophobia". And commies are nice guys. And rumors about China being a totalitarian genocidal state are just rumors. And...

I know. There was a period where the societal outcry over this would be huge. But now the widely public-facing part of our society is filled with the Power Rangers generation and younger who think this is a circus act that we should sit through, probably for the sake of "fairness to Chineese culture".

I am literally living in the society now where these people would stare doe-eyed at rockets landing on the U.S. and then complain about how it's not fair while we are utterly rocked to our core. Dumbest generation of people to ever walk the Earth. The kind of people the criminal smiles at and asks if they are okay while the knife goes in and out, in and out. But they'll complain more about being hit on or "mansplained to" than the criminal knifing them. Dumbest generation of people to ever walk the Earth. F'n cavemen had more sense.

[ChosenOne]

Russia is not Communist. But you can blame current conditions on Communism, since the ultranationalism and obsession with money we see in Russia today is a counter reaction to 74 years of Communism (1917–1991).

Keep telling yourself that, see if it comes true.

[oldmanwinters]

Huh... from a certain angle, it kinda looks like Captain Hook's flying pirate ship in Disney's Peter Pan.
https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/phL4hUw_5BbIU0FPyt_Z5Q--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2023-02/10ec50b0-a3c9-11ed-afff-6c71ed3dbf68

[Coola Yagami]

So what if this balloon leads to spreading Super CoVid in the air?

There have been rumors of people working on a new and improved CoVid.

Again... What is so important about this vaccine that they even want to create more pandemics to force people into taking them?

[Cowabung-Gal]

Again... What is so important about this vaccine that they even want to create more pandemics to force people into taking them?

Simple. More sick people equals more money for Big Pharma.

[IMJ]

China confirms balloon is theirs, as spokesperson claims it is civilian research airship (https://www.foxnews.com/world/china-confirms-balloon-theirs-spokesperson-claims-civilian-research-airship)

China To America:
Yeah. It's ours but it's a civilian science project, so don't worry about it over your country.

Every American @$$hole Younger than 40:
Oh cool. No sweat, we love your cultural contributions.

So hey, it's a civilian research balloon the size of three school buses in super high altitude that made a global journey. No problem at all. Hmmm. although -scratches chin- You'd figure that if it drifted off course they'd have told us about it in our airspace so as to avoid an international incident.

[ChosenOne]

Just shoot the f*cking thing down and be done with it.

[IMJ]

Just shoot the f*cking thing down and be done with it.

We should capture it.

But the truth is that anything is better than "just observing" a piece of spy tech as it surveys you. The only viable tactic for "just observing" it would be if we could direct significant misinformation to it and let the Chinese think they were successful.

[ChosenOne]

We should capture it.

But the truth is that anything is better than "just observing" a piece of spy tech as it surveys you. The only viable tactic for "just observing" it would be if we could direct significant misinformation to it and let the Chinese think they were successful.

Maybe that’s what they want. But they sure as hell don't want it destroyed.

[Coola Yagami]

Simple. More sick people equals more money for Big Pharma.

Hmm so it's not about actually saving lives, you say?

Almost like big pharma doesn't have our best interest in mind. But that can't be true, can it? Lord Fauci and Big Daddy Biden are the good guys, aren't they?

[Coola Yagami]

Just shoot the f*cking thing down and be done with it.

Wouldn't that be a declaration of war?

[ChosenOne]

Wouldn't that be a declaration of war?

What, shooting down an unidentified foreign aircraft that penetrated American airspace all the way to the Midwest unauthorized and for undisclosed reasons...? How?

Some would say that thing's current status is the declaration of war, on China's behalf.

[Mayhem]

For once, I have to rather agree, I’m rather surprised it hasn’t been blasted apart yet.

[IndigoErth]

Though I guess shooting it down also requires timing to avoid negative impacts on the ground, so I can see why that still could be an issue and not an action taken immediately.


edit: Shame it couldn't have just been some wayward and harmless Chinese New Year balloon drifted this way on the wind, because that would just be hilarious, minus any air traffic concerns...

[Cowabung-Gal]

https://i.imgflip.com/2q63gq.jpg

No entry without permission

[Roseangelo]

Apparently the reason it's still floating is because they don't want debris to injure people on the ground. But surely we've got a big net or something.

[Sumac]

Russia is not Communist. But you can blame current conditions on Communism, since the ultranationalism and obsession with money we see in Russia today is a counter reaction to 74 years of Communism (1917–1991).
It is not a reaction - it is an extension of Soviet ideology.

[Andrew NDB]

So is this thing manned? Is there people in it?

[ChosenOne]

edit: Shame it couldn't have just been some wayward and harmless Chinese New Year balloon drifted this way on the wind, because that would just be hilarious, minus any air traffic concerns...

Drifted on the wind across roughly 1/4 of the planet's circumference?

[IndigoErth]

Drifted on the wind across roughly 1/4 of the planet's circumference?
It's a balloon, wind will carry them, so no matter what degree of control they have over its direction, unless they inflated it on U.S. soil, that would be the case, yes. Prob especially some heavy duty surveillance thing meant to last a while.

Now my joke... I'd expect it to at least have lost some amount of its helium if that were the case, since some big "party" balloon isn't made to last as well. But at least something harmless would just be weirdly funny instead of this concerning crap.



Just wait until the thing is over enough open land and take it down so it isn't hurting anyone or anything.

[ChosenOne]

It's a balloon, wind will carry them, so no matter what degree of control they have over its direction, unless they inflated it on U.S. soil, that would be the case, yes. Prob especially some heavy duty surveillance thing meant to last a while.

Now my joke... I'd expect it to at least have lost some amount of its helium if that were the case. But at least something harmless would just be weirdly funny instead of this concerning crap.

I'm fighting the urge to ask "A wind-carried Chinese balloon? At this time of year? In this part of the country? Localized entirely over your military bases?" and I hope you appreciate how hard that is.

Anyway, the thing's clearly steerable, drifting balloons don't maintain, and then deliberately change, a straight trajectory and altitude. The news over here mentioned it coming in through Canadian airspace, how reliable is that?

Just wait until the thing is over enough open land and take it down so it isn't hurting anyone or anything.

Or the Great Lakes.

[IMJ]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/chinese-spy-balloon-flying-montana-weather-what-to-know-143008568.html

So China has claimed it and explained its a weather balloon that veered off course from it's programed path.

Post #17 brother.

The Technodrome forums. Where people talk at each other not with each other. :lol:

:P

As for shooting it down, I can't imagine that we don't have an energy weapon that could puncture it precisely and bring it down in a controlled manner - we are already lasing various targets like drones. On another note, sending a spy unit into another nation is act of war. Shooting down a foreign asset inside of your own territory is an act of self-defense.

On another note, if you "wait" to shoot it down once it's over a lake then it's already curated and likely disseminated via satellite the intelligence it was gathering. What you do is disable it immediately and if it's retrievable for intel that's even better. God sometimes I can't even fathom where some of you guys are coming from with some of this. Holy $#(.

[IndigoErth]

Anyway, the thing's clearly steerable, drifting balloons don't maintain, and then deliberately change, a straight trajectory and altitude.

Article I was looking at suggested it may have solar panels (some of those black marks in photos I guess?), though doesn't seem to have propellers or any obvious way of steering. If this golf ball-looking thing has anything built in for steering, it must be quite minimal that we can't pick it out in photos.

Or the Great Lakes.
That could work, if can't get it down sooner over open parts of the Midwest. Provided winter storms don't make it a problem, in either case.

'Course if they can control the direction and can resist where wind takes it, it might be hard to force it to go that way.

[ChosenOne]

On another note, if you "wait" to shoot it down once it's over a lake then it's already curated and likely disseminated via satellite the intelligence it was gathering. What you do is disable it immediately and if it's retrievable for intel that's even better. God sometimes I can't even fathom where some of you guys are coming from with some of this. Holy $#(.

But if you shoot you it down over a populated area, who knows what collateral damage might occur? Who knows for sure how that thing's built, what's inside it, etc? Could even kill someone. I'd rather risk losing a foreign spy craft and its data than civilian casualties.

Article I was looking at suggested it may have solar panels (some of those black marks in photos I guess?), though doesn't seem to have propellers or any obvious way of steering. If this golf ball-looking thing has anything built in for steering, it must be quite minimal that we can't pick it out in photos.

What do you suppose the black structure halfway down its surface is?

[IMJ]

That's the thing - that balloon could be equipped with spectrometers or other muon sensing equipment that penetrates into the ground and broadcasts to a satellite. That's why you don't chance it.

It's literally flying over where we keep nuclear assets. The current liberal-appointed Washington braintrust says that it can't see things of importance, but what if it's got ground penetrating sensors that can not only see ICBM launch sites but see within them?

"Oh the Chinese don't have that!" How do you know? That's the whole point - you don't chance it. This was a calling card test from China to see how far they can push the envelope.

There are a zillion ways to bring that balloon down - very likely more than we are aware of at this level. The government can hit things with shaped charges that can literally end the destruction of a building within inches of a target. You're gonna tell me that we can't shoot down a balloon so that it doesn't hit something in sparsely populated Montanna or Kansas City?

What do you suppose the black structure halfway down its surface is?

It looks like a solar array with a communication grid on it.

https://i.imgur.com/6Woqxzmm.jpg

I imagine the architecture to the immediate interior of the panels are various camera systems.

[joe-eyeball]

It was mentioned in an official press conference earlier today by our “intelligence” that the balloon does have some ability to maneuver. If that’s true then this thing is definitely more than it seems.

[IndigoErth]

What do you suppose the black structure halfway down its surface is?
Anybody's guess, but along the bottom edge of the balloon it doesn't seem to fall off that edge like an object attached, it looks like it follows the shape of the balloon.

Some article suggested solar panels and maybe those black rectangles are what they were talking about. Maybe it has a system with that to keep itself inflated.


If weather conditions and location doesn't permit taking it down over land... well if anyone sees it, just be sure to flip them off. lol At least until it's blasted out of the sky over the Atlantic at the very latest.

Hope we do get that thing down. Even if it turned out to be of minimal concern, would be interesting to hear how it's rigged up mechanically.

[IMJ]

It was mentioned in an official press conference earlier today by our “intelligence” that the balloon does have some ability to maneuver. If that’s true then this thing is definitely more than it seems.

It's possible that the solar array is articulated whereby each square-panel can also serve as an airfoil as well as an energy accumulator, giving the entire thing a degree of planned mobility.

On another note, you don't "steer" with "propellers". :roll: omfg

[IndigoErth]

Second one reported crossing Latin America. Yeaaah...def starting to look less accidental.

[Andrew NDB]

This is seriously scarier than anything happening in Russia since they developed hypersonic nukes years ago. This is most likely testing the waters to see what happens if they go full throttle in Taiwan. Worse, if they want to entertain something more preliminary.

[Roseangelo]

Second one reported crossing Latin America. Yeaaah...def starting to look less accidental.

Well, it never looked accidental.

[frank_one]

How do they know it's coming from China?

[Andrew NDB]

How do they know it's coming from China?

Because China has freely admitted it, for starters. But they're saying it's an errant weather balloon.

[Coola Yagami]

The Chinese must be laughing at how stupid we are by now.

Trump mighta been an idiot, but he was a reactionary idiot they didn't want to cross. Kinda have the feeling either they wouldn't be pulling this **** outright or Trump would have had those balloons dealt with by now.

[frank_one]

What if.. it's actually just a weather baloon?

[ChosenOne]

The Chinese must be laughing at how stupid we are by now.

Trump mighta been an idiot, but he was a reactionary idiot they didn't want to cross. Kinda have the feeling either they wouldn't be pulling this **** outright or Trump would have had those balloons dealt with by now.

There wouldn't be a war in Ukraine either, yet here we are. Some folks were tired of eating well and had to ruin it for the rest of us.

What if.. it's actually just a weather baloon?

Two "errant" weather balloons in two days?

[Galactus]

The reason they didn't destroy it was surely that they were worried that it might harm people in the area. I strongly suspect they were concerned about more than just debris falling but that the thing may have been designed to cause maximum damage if destroyed.

I think we can all agree that there very little chance that this is a weather balloon that simply got blown off course. The idea that this woudn't have happened if Trump was still president is silly, most world leaders treated him as a joke. His relationship with China could be summed up that he would whisper to Ping "look man I have to keep up appearances and act like I'm being tough on you in public but y'know we're secret best friends, right?". Objectively he took no stronger line against China than his predecessor and since leaving office he has been nothing but complimentary about Ping and China. I haven't heard what he makes about this but if he wants to show support for the US he and Ivanka might think of drawing all their money out of Chinese banks and stop having all their crap being made there.

[ChosenOne]

The idea that this woudn't have happened if Trump was still president is silly

It's not that it wouldn't happen. It's that it didn't happen. No Chinese spycraft, no Russian invasions, no inflation, no high gas prices and cost of living the world over. You can slander and distort facts and make stuff up all you want, everyone was around for those four years and everyone remembers. Even those who won't admit it as a matter of principle. But by all means, keep at it. Whatever makes you happy, I guess. Too bad for all those dead Slavs in the process.

[Vegita-San]

It's not that it wouldn't happen. It's that it didn't happen. No Chinese spycraft, no Russian invasions, no inflation, no high gas prices and cost of living the world over. You can slander and distort facts and make stuff up all you want, everyone was around for those four years and everyone remembers. Even those who won't admit it as a matter of principle. But by all means, keep at it. Whatever makes you happy, I guess. Too bad for all those dead Slavs in the process.

don't forget the marines left behind! not too mention all the other **** that's happened. hope we survive another year.

[ChosenOne]

don't forget the marines left behind! not too mention all the other **** that's happened. hope we survive another year.

Biden is weak. The blood's in the water, and now the sharks come circling.

[TurtleManiac]

Why would Biden shoot it down? These are his friends! The Bidens are owned by the CCP. Joe is weak and compromised, foreign leaders are happy having him as US President. Open borders? You got it! Billions of tax dollars sent to other countries while the US sees historic inflation? No problem!

This would never of happened with Donald Trump as President. He was tough on the CCP, secure borders, great economy, and showed other world leaders not to mess with the US. Look how much damage has been done since Biden took office. I knew Biden was evil when he threatened people’s jobs for not taking the vaccine. He got on TV and said “my patience is wearing thin” to the American people who refused the vaccine. That’s exactly what Shredder said to the turtles on the video game! Villains think alike.

Trump was right about everything.

[The Deadman]

What if.. it's actually just a weather baloon?

2 weather balloons just happened to get blown off track and one ended up in the US and one ended up in Latin America? Come on dude...

[The Deadman]

There's one apparently hovering in Canada now too
https://globalnews.ca/news/9457135/chinese-spy-balloon-us-airpsace/

[ChosenOne]

At this rate, I predict there'll be another one over the Southwest before the weekend is out.

[IndigoErth]

Canada now, too?

Three sounds kinda unusual if just a weather balloon? Though I DO find it really bizarre that if it is surveillance related why on Earth in an era that has sneakier options would you use something as obvious, attention grabbing, and easy to destroy as a BALLOON? :lol: What is this, the 1800s?

That's the part that sits weird with me and has kept me from feeling too alarmed over that.

I mean, for all we know the Chinese government could actually be clueless and embarrassed and now actively threatening a bunch of college students for a project gone wrong. lol

Either way it sounds like it was headed to the coast this morning so hopefully they can take it down soon, if not already, and update us on what was really up with that.

[ChosenOne]

Canada now, too?

Three sounds kinda unusual if just a weather balloon? Though I DO find it really bizarre that if it is surveillance related why on Earth in an era that has sneakier options would you use something as obvious, attention grabbing, and easy to destroy as a BALLOON? :lol: What is this, the 1800s?

That's the part that sits weird with me and has kept me from feeling too alarmed over that.

Could be them seeing how far they can push the envelope. Which is reason enough to feel alarmed.

[IndigoErth]

Could be them seeing how far they can push the envelope. Which is reason enough to feel alarmed.
While that did cross my mind, you'd think China, who isn't exactly stupid, would know that repeating it or doing something more would end the patience for it immediately.



edit: Where are those storms and tornadoes when we need them. A "nice" tornado to just say "f*** this" and destroy it. (Unless this is higher than cloud level...)

[ChosenOne]

While that did cross my mind, you'd think China, who isn't exactly stupid, would know that repeating it or doing something more would end the patience for it immediately.

They might feel the same way about America and Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, making this (in their very particular worldview) the same and a sort of payback. Problem is, it's not even remotely the same. Good thing cooler heads will prevail, or China would end up with a war on their hands.

[Coola Yagami]

The problem with them testing the waters, is that we're pretty much telling China that we're stupid enough to just let them fly these objects above us without batting an eye.

Let's say this balloon is just that, just a weather balloon. They already know they can let one fly without us doing anything about it. Then maybe 5 months down the line, here comes the balloon full of Murder Hornet Super CoVid Gamma Powered Mutagen Joker Toxin or what-have you. They already know we're stupid enough to just let it happen and it will be too late to respond when the balloon pops and unleashes the contents within.


Funny how even in fiction the superheroes would be like 'hmmm kinda sus, that's something worth looking into.' while in real life we just kinda ignore it and handwave it until people actually start dying.

[The Deadman]

It got shot down over the North Carolina coast

[Aaronardo]

President Xi Jinpnig's reaction minutes after China's balloon was shot down. (https://i.pinimg.com/originals/80/b0/14/80b01452e669256c38e662a27be7378f.jpg)

[IndigoErth]

Yay, now hopefully we've had people prepared to go retrieve it. Hopefully it won't take forever to reveal the details.

while in real life we just kinda ignore it and handwave it until people actually start dying.
I think it's less ignoring it and handwaving and more-so we're apparently under-prepared in how to deal with this kind of thing when having to take communities in the way on the ground into consideration.

Maybe we really aught to consider keeping a better watch on the airspace along our western flank so we might catch this stuff sooner. And at best, shoot it down over the Pacific before it crosses the coastline.


Imagine being the people who got to shoot it down... you know they probably enjoyed it. lol *pop* Oops.


If it recorded pictures but there aren't any modern society equivalents of this image of but of Americans (or people in Latin America or Canada) down here like...
https://www.science.org/do/10.1126/article.22736/full/sn-tribeh.jpg
...I'll be a little disappointed. lol I mean at least give us some cool photos we can take from you and keep, China.

[Sumac]

China wants to learn where Canadians hide their moose.
Sorry, not sorry.

[ChosenOne]

China wants to learn where Canadians hide their moose.
Sorry, not sorry.

And their poutine. (Xi was told it's better than honey.)

[The Deadman]

Yay, now hopefully we've had people prepared to go retrieve it. Hopefully it won't take forever to reveal the details.


I think it's less ignoring it and handwaving and more-so we're apparently under-prepared in how to deal with this kind of thing when having to take communities in the way on the ground into consideration.

Maybe we really aught to consider keeping a better watch on the airspace along our western flank so we might catch this stuff sooner. And at best, shoot it down over the Pacific before it crosses the coastline.


Imagine being the people who got to shoot it down... you know they probably enjoyed it. lol *pop* Oops.


If it recorded pictures but there aren't any modern society equivalents of this image of but of Americans (or people in Latin America or Canada) down here like...
https://www.science.org/do/10.1126/article.22736/full/sn-tribeh.jpg
...I'll be a little disappointed. lol I mean at least give us some cool photos we can take from you and keep, China.

The people in Alaska probably didnt know any better until it passed through Canada.

[TurtleManiac]

I suppose Xi gave Biden the OK to take down the balloon after a week of it floating around, they got whatever intel they needed.

[MikeandRaph87]

How many spy balloons are there? The one over Montana, the one over Central America, and the one over the Carolinas? Or are one of those the same spotted in different areas?

[The Deadman]

How many spy balloons are there? The one over Montana, the one over Central America, and the one over the Carolinas? Or are one of those the same spotted in different areas?

The one that was over the Carolinas is the one that was in Montana.

[ChosenOne]

How many spy balloons are there? The one over Montana, the one over Central America, and the one over the Carolinas? Or are one of those the same spotted in different areas?

It's a magic balloon! It would've flown over Dallas and splattered the president's brain all over his car seat JFK-style, too, if he only had a brain to splatter...

[IndigoErth]

Ah,okay. What about the one over Central America? The news outlets are giving confusing information.
Different one reported by Costa Rica, Colombia and Venezuela.

[Andrew NDB]

Different one reported by Costa Rica, Colombia and Venezuela.

This is for sure? Confirmed?

[IndigoErth]

Article I saw that mentioned those countries by name said it was confirmed by the Pentagon. A photo as well in another article.

Edit: Just saw video as well.

[Andrew NDB]

Shesus... wtf, man.

[ChosenOne]

I mean, it's not like those three countries are big military or nuclear powers. Costa Rica in particular literally has no armed forces... So why would China be spying on them? Could it be that the crazy bastards are formulating a plan for invading the US via the Southern border in case a war with China ever breaks out over Taiwan?

[Mayhem]

Part of me can see it as letting loose a bunch of monitoring balloons and seeing how the air currents and streams take them. But in the current climate, it’s very suspect especially after Thailand announced last week they are allowing US military operations to return to the islands, so the US now pretty much will have a ring of monitoring stations enclosing the South China Sea and China itself.

[IndigoErth]

I mean, it's not like those three countries are big military or nuclear powers. Costa Rica in particular literally has no armed forces... So why would China be spying on them? Could it be that the crazy bastards are formulating a plan for invading the US via the Southern border in case a war with China ever breaks out over Taiwan?
Or just a flyover country on the way to other targets of interest in the other two.

But where did that one go... Has it also reached the ocean or is it still roaming over land.

[Coola Yagami]

Apparently people on Twitter are saying Trump allowed China to fly their weather balloons three time during his presidency and hid it from the media. Kinda like a 'take that people that think Trump woulda shot them down'. They're also singing and dancing that Trump did nothing while Biden did (eventually) shoot the balloon down.

[IndigoErth]

Apparently people on Twitter are saying Trump allowed China to fly their weather balloons three time during his presidency and hid it from the media. Kinda like a 'take that people that think Trump woulda shot them down'. They're also singing and dancing that Trump did nothing while Biden did (eventually) shoot the balloon down.
From what I heard it was a senior defense official who stated it, though sounds like it may have been instances of balloons briefly flirting with US territory and this may be the first that it just came right on in and through. Though those other cases really should have been public and dealt with in a way to discourage what now just happened.

Even if it really did turn out to be just a weather balloon and no harm was intended, by now China should have been better about preventing this after those prior incidences and figure out a way to go retrieve it before it gets into territory it shouldn't be intruding on.


Thing that bugs me is that China sits there now kind of mad that we shot it down, but where the hell were they in keeping in touch with us over it and actively trying to work with us to deal with it and get it returned to them if it really was just an innocent mistake?

[ChosenOne]

Apparently people on Twitter are saying Trump allowed China to fly their weather balloons three time during his presidency and hid it from the media. Kinda like a 'take that people that think Trump woulda shot them down'. They're also singing and dancing that Trump did nothing while Biden did (eventually) shoot the balloon down.

Sounds like something people on Twitter would do.

But, I mean... Every initial teport of these things came from civilians online, the Pentagon merely confirmed their sightings. And didn't Trump have a rocky relationship with the media? So how come we didn't hear a single peep about this back then? And if the president has the power to hide it from the media, why wouldn't Biden do the same now? The answer is simple: because the president can't, and because this never happened before now.

The people on Twitter didn't think this through. That's TDS for ya.

[Cowabung-Gal]

Thing that bugs me is that China sits there now kind of mad that we shot it down, but where the hell were they in keeping in touch with us over it and actively trying to work with us to deal with it and get it returned to them if it really was just an innocent mistake?

They’re just mad because we’ve demonstrated that we’re not total pushovers.

[Andrew NDB]

Dumb question: is there even wind at 80,000 feet?

[ChosenOne]

Thing that bugs me is that China sits there now kind of mad that we shot it down, but where the hell were they in keeping in touch with us over it and actively trying to work with us to deal with it and get it returned to them if it really was just an innocent mistake?

Straight outta the Russian playbook: "How DARE they fight back against our blatant violation of their sovereignty and international law?!"...

[IndigoErth]

Dumb question: is there even wind at 80,000 feet?
Got my curiosity so I went hunting... Hard to find something simply saying yes or no for that exact level, but this old article (coincidentally about balloons) suggests yes, but that the winds are actually a lot more variable and unpredictable?

https://www.technologyreview.com/2018/11/14/139092/darpa-is-testing-stratospheric-balloons-that-ride-the-wind-so-they-never-have-to-come-down/

The idea of a balloon that floats high up above Earth indefinitely is a tantalizing one. [rest of paragraph edited out]

There’s a major snag, though: current balloons shift with the wind and can only stay in one area for a few days at a time. At the height of the stratosphere, some 60,000 feet (18,300 meters) up, winds blow in different directions at different altitudes. In theory it should be possible to find a wind blowing in any desired direction simply by changing altitude. But while machine learning and better data are improving navigation, the progress is gradual.

“By flying higher we hope to take advantage of a larger range of winds,” says ALTA project manager Alex Walan. ALTA will operate even higher than Loon at 75,000 to 90,000 feet (22,900 to 27,400 meters or 14 to 17 miles), where the winds are less predictable. That shouldn’t be a problem if the balloon can see exactly where the favorable winds are.

Edit:
Just for the heck of it I also looked for forecasted weather patterns of the last few days and found a gif (going up through I think the 12th) and grabbed these couple frames from the last two days. It looks like it lines up with exactly the path that balloon took. Pushed south by the system that brought that cold snap and out off the Carolinas.
https://i.imgur.com/Dn3CYaQ.jpg

[Galactus]

Apparently people on Twitter are saying Trump allowed China to fly their weather balloons three time during his presidency and hid it from the media. Kinda like a 'take that people that think Trump woulda shot them down'. They're also singing and dancing that Trump did nothing while Biden did (eventually) shoot the balloon down.

It's true that several spy balloons flew over the US while Trump was president and that Trump chose to ignore this; It's been confirmed by the Pentagon they'd never made this public before.

I think people who believed that Trump was not a deterrent to this kind of thing are perfectly entitled to point out they were right. However a bigger point of discussion should be why the Trump government did nothing. One news source is alleging he saw this as "no big deal". Interesting that some right leaning pundits (that had previously been demanding Biden shoot it down) are now saying they posed no security risk but how they know that unless they'd examined one as the military now plan to do with remains of this one...and if there was no possibility they could learn anything important why would China continue to send them?

[Cowabung-Gal]

Got my curiosity so I went hunting... Hard to find something simply saying yes or no for that exact level, but this old article (coincidentally about balloons) suggests yes, but that the winds are actually a lot more variable and unpredictable?



Edit:
Just for the heck of it I also looked for forecasted weather patterns of the last few days and found a gif (going up through I think the 12th) and grabbed these couple frames from the last two days. It looks like it lines up with exactly the path that balloon took. Pushed south by the system that brought that cold snap and out off the Carolinas.
https://i.imgur.com/Dn3CYaQ.jpg

https://y.yarn.co/4415bc36-92f8-422f-b01c-511856b14ec4_text.gif

[ChosenOne]

It's true that several spy balloons flew over the US while Trump was president and that Trump chose to ignore this; It's been confirmed by the Pentagon they'd never made this public before.

Good to know some people still believe in Santa and other children's fairytales, I was afraid that magic had been lost to the world.

[frank_one]

So, is the ballon still up in the air or has it been taken down? All they need to do is open it up and see what devices are inside.

[ChosenOne]

So, is the ballon still up in the air or has it been taken down? All they need to do is open it up and see what devices are inside.

The first one was shot down over the Atlantic.

[Galactus]

Good to know some people still believe in Santa and other children's fairytales, I was afraid that magic had been lost to the world.

So you're suggesting the Pentagon are lying to help Biden's public image and/or to help ruin Trump's? Why do you think they would do that?

Also why do you have such devotion to the idea of Trump as some unique and strong politician that no country would dare try and send over a spy balloon while he was president or that he isn't so dumb as to let it happen?

[TurtleManiac]

So you're suggesting the Pentagon are lying to help Biden's public image and/or to help ruin Trump's? Why do you think they would do that?

Also why do you have such devotion to the idea of Trump as some unique and strong politician that no country would dare try and send over a spy balloon while he was president or that he isn't so dumb as to let it happen?

Is there any old articles from when this happened? Why is it just now being revealed? You would think with all the other things they tried to frame Trump with, this would have been huge, the media could of labeled him a CCP spy or something.

Idk, the timing seems a little too convenient. We just saw 3 CCP spy balloons floating around the world under the Biden admin, and the media is so quick to deflect and say “hey look, Trump let this happen too!”. I mean, if any of the other stuff they’re tried to frame Trump for the last several years was actually true, this would be more believable. But they’ve lied so many times, it’s hard to believe anything on TV nowadays.

[Andrew NDB]

The first one was shot down over the Atlantic.

Which is pretty incredible. It was over Montana... then suddenly it's shot over the Atlantic? Meaning, the balloon had to pass over, like, South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Virginia, Delaware to then be shot over the Atlantic. Or am I missing something?

[Cowabung-Gal]

Is there any old articles from when this happened? Why is it just now being revealed? You would think with all the other things they tried to frame Trump with, this would have been huge, the media could of labeled him a CCP spy or something.

Idk, the timing seems a little too convenient. We just saw 3 CCP spy balloons floating around the world under the Biden admin, and the media is so quick to deflect and say “hey look, Trump let this happen too!”. I mean, if any of the other stuff they’re tried to frame Trump for the last several years was actually true, this would be more believable. But they’ve lied so many times, it’s hard to believe anything on TV nowadays.

This reminds me of George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” when Napoleon blamed his exiled rival Snowball for the fall of the new windmill, which actually collapsed due to a storm (and Napoleon’s poor planning). But Napoleon told the other farm animals that Snowball was trying to sabotage their project and they believed him of course because, as Boxer would say, “Napoleon is always right.” Oh, and although the windmill was Snowball’s idea, after Napoleon drove him off, he said that the windmill was actually his idea and that Snowball stole it, and Napoleon pretended to oppose it as a “maneuver to get rid of Snowball, who was a dangerous character and a bad influence.”

[MikeandRaph87]

Mao Ning is Squaler! :lol:

[ChosenOne]

So you're suggesting the Pentagon are lying to help Biden's public image and/or to help ruin Trump's? Why do you think they would do that?

Also why do you have such devotion to the idea of Trump as some unique and strong politician that no country would dare try and send over a spy balloon while he was president or that he isn't so dumb as to let it happen?

A better question is why you have such devotion to the idea of Trump as some evil and corrupt fascist that you would distort facts and make up false narratives in order to spread your twisted perception of the man. No one's buying what you're selling. It's just you. There are thousands of dead people in Afghanistan and Ukraine because of that very same blind, spiteful hatred you and others like you have helped to propagate. Their blood is on your hands too, not just Putin and the Taliban's. Please stop embarrassing yourself.

What was China's 'explanation' for the balloon over South America?

Taco Tuesday?

[IMJ]

I mean, it's not like those three countries are big military or nuclear powers. Costa Rica in particular literally has no armed forces... So why would China be spying on them? Could it be that the crazy bastards are formulating a plan for invading the US via the Southern border in case a war with China ever breaks out over Taiwan?

The United States has agreements with nations all over the world, ranging from simple embassies to Military bases. It's not such a stretch that we'd have pre-arranged agreements in places in South America that could serve as launch pads for our own arsenal, whether we actively store weapons there or not.

So it's very likely that the purpose of surveillance of South America is actually still to spy on U.S. activity.

[IndigoErth]

Which is pretty incredible. It was over Montana... then suddenly it's shot over the Atlantic? Meaning, the balloon had to pass over, like, South Dakota, Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Virginia, Delaware to then be shot over the Atlantic. Or am I missing something?
I don't think it was ever just sitting in one place and had kept moving. Seemingly in a path air currents were flowing, so I'm assuming it was carried by the winds right across and out to he ocean. But in a southeastern direction and out past the Carolinas. I think SC got the view of it being taken down. Sadly DE here didn't get that show.

-------------


Rep. Ann Wagner, a Missouri Republican, said she and her family watched as the balloon flew over her home state.

"President Biden's decision to let the [Chinese Communist Party] balloons travel the length and breadth of the United States of America was an unpardonable show of weakness on the world stage," Wagner said.
Well I didn't hear about her offering to let them shoot it down over top of her home and property. :roll:

[Andrew NDB]

Now we just shot down... something... over Alaska.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/us-shoots-down-unknown-high-altitude-object-over-alaska-white-house-says/ar-AA17lFc2?cvid=554e2fbf4e844b898003cc9f4d476f31

[Sumac]

Now we just shot down... something... over Alaska.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/us-shoots-down-unknown-high-altitude-object-over-alaska-white-house-says/ar-AA17lFc2?cvid=554e2fbf4e844b898003cc9f4d476f31
And since that day no-one have heard about reporter Kent. :lol:

[IMJ]

Read the description of the "object" in the article. At first, it sounds like the "tic-tac" but later they report that the object was at the whim of the wind for manuevering.

[IndigoErth]

https://i.imgur.com/dJe6TBD.jpg

Now we'll just shoot down any suspicious "UFO" object, or at least just fly out to meet it, and figure this whole thing out. So, uh, thanks, China? lol No more mysterious reports from jet pilots, those things will just be attacked on sight. lol Space Force will soon become legit.

[ChosenOne]

https://i.imgur.com/dJe6TBD.jpg

Now we'll just shoot down any suspicious "UFO" object, or at least just fly out to meet it, and figure this whole thing out. So, uh, thanks, China? lol No more mysterious reports from jet pilots, those things will just be attacked on sight. lol Space Force will soon become legit.

https://cdn.quotesgram.com/img/50/5/1609622417-1-Independence-Day-quotes.gif

[Andrew NDB]

Now another one shot down over Canada.

https://news.yahoo.com/trudeau-warplane-shot-down-object-221137439.html

wtf...

[ChosenOne]

Now another one shot down over Canada.

https://news.yahoo.com/trudeau-warplane-shot-down-object-221137439.html

wtf...

They're going for the poutine! Man your maple syrup cannons! Moosery, charge!

[Cowabung-Gal]

https://64.media.tumblr.com/413c4a2c4ae306508d00cdd70ebe9dde/tumblr_nqf4tftbet1rwfctbo3_500.gif

“Oh, bother. I think I shall come down.”

[ChosenOne]

https://64.media.tumblr.com/413c4a2c4ae306508d00cdd70ebe9dde/tumblr_nqf4tftbet1rwfctbo3_500.gif

“Oh, bother. I think I shall come down.”

"The itsy-bitsy spy balloon
Went up with the Eastward draft
But down came the wreckage
And squashed ol' Winnie flat..."

[ChosenOne]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/sen-schumer-says-2-downed-150259573.html
3rd foreign object shot down in as many days!

So this is a different one from the SC one, the Central America one and the Canada one, yes? Think I'm missing one, not counting China's fake claim.

[joe-eyeball]

So this is a different one from the SC one, the Central America one and the Canada one, yes? Think I'm missing one, not counting China's fake claim.

Yes, this a total of a fourth one over America. This latest one over Michigan I believe

[ChosenOne]

Yes, this a total of a fourth one over America. This latest one over Michigan I believe

Shoot it down ASAP.

[joe-eyeball]

Shoot it down ASAP.

They did. Shot it down over Lake Huron

[ChosenOne]

They did. Shot it down over Lake Huron

Oh, right. Sorry, forgot that the Central American one vanished. Here, have a meme:

https://i.ibb.co/NpdsdY6/7axkvs.jpg

[TurtleManiac]

Military aged Chinese men spotted in Panama getting ready to cross Biden’s open border into the U.S.

https://twitter.com/77HERCULES77/status/1655327156707246081/mediaViewer?currentTweet=1655327156707246081&currentTweetUser=77HERCULES77