Another "not a spy balloon" is floating over our country.

[foszoe]

Remember when the story came out that they finally admitted after it was at least 3/4 of the way across the country, or maybe after it was shot down that NORAD or whoever said out loud they saw it launch and watched it the whole way?

You believed that?

One of the best ways to cover up for incompetence is to act like you were competent all along. I know for I do it 24/7.

I am not nearly as conspiratorial as others, but I couldn't find enough salt to make that one palatable. Possible? Sure.

 

[Cameramonkey]

You believed that?

One of the best ways to cover up for incompetence is to act like you were competent all along. I know for I do it 24/7.

I am not nearly as conspiratorial as others, but I couldn't find enough salt to make that one palatable. Possible? Sure.

Doesnt matter, really.

Any scenario other than "ITS A SPY BALLOON SHOOT IT DOWN NOW!" is the wrong action to take. So whether they watched it all the way or only knew about it after those farmers in MT saw it and reported it, not shooting it down as soon as they knew it was over our airspace was wrong.

 

[stocknup]

U.S. Shoots Down Spy Balloon As It Was Getting Too Close To Ukraine

U.S. — The Pentagon officially went ahead with their plan to shoot down the Chinese spy balloon as it was getting too close to Ukraine's borders, sources confirmed Saturday.

babylonbee.com

 

[gunerd]

I was going to call yesterday to report it , but for some reason , my phone would not get a signal ?

Was your phone made in China?

 

[actaeon277]

Any scenario other than "ITS A SPY BALLOON SHOOT IT DOWN NOW!" is the wrong action to take.

I don't know.
I think, let's see if we can capture it and bring it down for inspection... might be a good idea.. if possible.

If it's not, shoot it down.
And then plan on the next one, maybe capture that one.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Yep. Anything that keeps it from doing its work as it floats across US territory works for me.

 

[Twangbanger]

Regarding the directed-energy weapons and lasers capable of boring a hole at distance, I know the latter exist, but the .Gov is probably not interested in making high-profile use of them against China and demonstrating the precise nature of our capability. I think the .Gov would prefer we not know about the balloon so they can just let it pass, but, in the event the public becomes aware, they want to splash it in the most ostentatiously performative manner possible. When the spotlight comes on, you want to use the crowd-pleasing roundhouse kick the enemy knows about...not the kimura he never saw coming.

Put differently, you don't use your ballistic-tip solid copper stuff, when a cast round nose can do the job and get a better public reaction.

 

[Cameramonkey]

Regarding the directed-energy weapons and lasers capable of boring a hole at distance, I know the latter exist, but the .Gov is probably not interested in making high-profile use of them against China and demonstrating the precise nature of our capability. I think the .Gov would prefer we not know about the balloon so they can just let it pass, but, in the event the public becomes aware, they want to splash it in the most ostentatiously performative manner possible. When the spotlight comes on, you want to use the crowd-pleasing roundhouse kick the enemy knows about...not the kimura he never saw coming.

Put differently, you don't use your ballistic-tip solid copper stuff, when a cast round nose can do the job and get a better public reaction.

And the lighter the material, the harder it is to burn through it with a laser.

 

[Twangbanger]

And the lighter the material, the harder it is to burn through it with a laser.

I am assuming if you set the school bus-thingy on fire, it accomplishes the same thing.

Really, I expect this sort of thing to eventually result in good ol' boy patriots getting in some skeet shooting. It sure would put Biden and the FAA in a pickle, prosecuting someone for doing what the .Gov wouldn't. I absolutely know there are drone operators who could make this happen.

 

[actaeon277]

Regarding the directed-energy weapons and lasers capable of boring a hole at distance, I know the latter exist, but the .Gov is probably not interested in making high-profile use of them against China and demonstrating the precise nature of our capability. I think the .Gov would prefer we not know about the balloon so they can just let it pass, but, in the event the public becomes aware, they want to splash it in the most ostentatiously performative manner possible. When the spotlight comes on, you want to use the crowd-pleasing roundhouse kick the enemy knows about...not the kimura he never saw coming.

Put differently, you don't use your ballistic-tip solid copper stuff, when a cast round nose can do the job and get a better public reaction.

The same as when their aircraft probe your airspace, you don't light all your electronics off, and launch a full response.
The enemy is trying to collect info.
Don't give it to them.


Unless of course, you WANT them to see it.
But I don't think that's very often.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I am assuming if you set the school bus-thingy on fire, it accomplishes the same thing.

Really, I expect this sort of thing to eventually result in good ol' boy patriots getting in some skeet shooting. It sure would put Biden and the FAA in a pickle, prosecuting someone for doing what the .Gov wouldn't. I absolutely know there are drone operators who could make this happen.

Drone ops? Not at that altitude. Thats above airliner altitudes, far above what an amateur drone could reach.

The theory is to fire a laser at the balloon to poke a hole in it to make it leak and descend rapidly. But the hole can only be created if the skin is dark enough to absorb the light and get hot enough to burn through. If its white or reflective, the laser cant poke a hole.
I'm sure the pentagon created a laser bright enough to do it, but as others have said, do they want to admit they have it? And even if they did, would it be a small enough diameter to poke a hole so the envelope could act like a drag chute to allow us to recover the payload?

 

[actaeon277]

We could make a drone, capable of going that high. And retrieving.

 

[Lmo1131]

Whew-eeee, we dodged this’un didn’t we!?!

Hobbyist balloon detected over Western U.S. has left American airspace, officials say

The U.S. small, high-altitude balloon posed no threat to national security, the military said Friday.

www.cbsnews.com

The small, high-altitude hobbyist balloon being tracked by the U.S. has left American airspace, the North American Aerospace Defense Command told CBS News on Saturday afternoon.

 

[Magyars]

 

[bobzilla]

View attachment 335792

My thoughts exactly

 

[Lmo1131]

Totary not for spying...

March 1, 2024 CNN —
Commercial fishermen off the coast of Alaska have found what officials are concerned could be another spy balloon and are bringing it to shore with them, three sources familiar with the matter told CNN.

Recovered by fishermen. Fishermen for Chris' sakes. Not the USN, fishermen.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/01/politics/fishermen-possible-spy-balloon-fbi-alaska/index.html

Previously

The Pentagon had said that the Chinese surveillance balloon did not collect intelligence while flying over the country, but US intelligence agencies did find that it used an American internet service provider to send short, periodic transmissions of data related to navigation and location back to China, according to a US official.

The network connection was not used to transmit intelligence back to China, according to the official. The balloon stored that information for later, including imagery and other data, which the US has since been able to study.

The Chinese think we're idiots. Maybe they're right...

 

[firecadet613]

Totary not for spying...

Recovered by fishermen. Fishermen for Chris' sakes. Not the USN, fishermen.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/01/politics/fishermen-possible-spy-balloon-fbi-alaska/index.html

Previously

The Chinese think we're idiots. Maybe they're right...

We're ruled by idiots that have been paid off. Treasonous idiots...

 

[Leadeye]

I think the old WW2 120mm AA gun could shoot up to 80K, maybe somebody should make a modern copy. Nothing new about that tech, it's been around for a while. Got to be cheaper than rockets.

 

[Cameramonkey]

I think the old WW2 120mm AA gun could shoot up to 80K, maybe somebody should make a modern copy. Nothing new about that tech, it's been around for a while. Got to be cheaper than rockets.

Only one problem.

What goes up, must come down.

 

[gassprint1]

Doesnt matter, really.

Any scenario other than "ITS A SPY BALLOON SHOOT IT DOWN NOW!" is the wrong action to take. So whether they watched it all the way or only knew about it after those farmers in MT saw it and reported it, not shooting it down as soon as they knew it was over our airspace was wrong.

I'm very curious WHY MT didn't just shoot it down themselves. It is their air space..right?