Terminal velocity

Four of these balloons floated over the states between 2016 and 2020. None were shot down. Your take?
 
NPeteN said:
Four of these balloons floated over the states between 2016 and 2020. None were shot down. Your take?
Click to expand...
In my opinion, they (potential enemies) are scanning for our detection / interdiction frequencies and regimes to more easily (attempt to) foil them in the future if/when they have more nefarious intent.

Meanwhile, OUR military/CIA may or may NOT be handling any of this in a positive fashion.

"The world may never know"

(I had feared the balloon could easily contain a massive quantity of newer, deadlier viruses, and popping it would NOT be a good idea)
 
grandpaul said:
In my opinion, they (potential enemies) are scanning for our detection / interdiction frequencies and regimes to more easily (attempt to) foil them in the future if/when they have more nefarious intent.

Meanwhile, OUR military/CIA may or may NOT be handling any of this in a positive fashion.

"The world may never know"

(I had feared the balloon could easily contain a massive quantity of newer, deadlier viruses, and popping it would NOT be a good idea)
Click to expand...
Beware of fear mongering. It is debilitating.
 
As far as im aware weather balloons have been detected in the past....BUT were they like this monstrosity ?
Where is the real evidence of these past events ...
 
I think it’s a giant PR exercise on both sides. International chest pounding if you will.

China would KNOW that this could not possibly go undetected. Therefore we must concluded they knew this and did it anyway, Therefore I’d concluded it was a deliberate ‘poke in the eye’ just to show they can and they will (possibly a reaction to recent announcements that the US is going to put military bases in the Philippines again).

The US don’t leave secrets out to be photographed, those days are long gone, the whole world is being watched by satellites constantly, so everything is hidden away as standard. It’s therefore difficult to think what genuinely useful / new information this balloon could realistically have obtained. So I can also imagine that the US shot it down for equal PR reasons, to show that they can and they will.

Both sides already spy on each other anyway, both sides have awesome satellite technology doing just that, constantly, and they don’t shoot those down. The chest pounding game has rules.
 
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"By any means necessary" by William Burrows describes US and UK 'spy' flights throughout the Cold War. All 'sides' do it. And it doesnt always end well.
 
NPeteN said:
Four of these balloons floated over the states between 2016 and 2020. None were shot down. Your take?
Click to expand...
The only somewhat complete information on the web that I found concerning these overflights comes from CNN. According to the article, the Pentagon never reveled them till after Biden took office. Both John Bolton, Trumps former national security adviser, or Mark Esper, former defense sec. claim any knowledge of them. Nor has the Biden administration explained how this knowledge came to light. CNN reported that the pentagon advised congress when it happened, but given the political climate at the time I find it hard to believe, based on what CNN has reported, that one side or the other would not have used this info as political ammunition. There is also no clear info as to where these incursions took place. Perhaps Mark Milley, then joint chief chairman, had already made a pledge to the Chinese not to allow any action on our part? I suspect the real truth will never be fully known.
Thats my take FWIW
 
I have wondered if spending $216 million on an airplane to pop a balloon is really cost effective.
 
MikeG said:
The only somewhat complete information on the web that I found concerning these overflights comes from CNN. According to the article, the Pentagon never reveled them till after Biden took office. Both John Bolton, Trumps former national security adviser, or Mark Esper, former defense sec. claim any knowledge of them. Nor has the Biden administration explained how this knowledge came to light. CNN reported that the pentagon advised congress when it happened, but given the political climate at the time I find it hard to believe, based on what CNN has reported, that one side or the other would not have used this info as political ammunition. There is also no clear info as to where these incursions took place. Perhaps Mark Milley, then joint chief chairman, had already made a pledge to the Chinese not to allow any action on our part? I suspect the real truth will never be fully known.
Thats my take FWIW
Click to expand...
From what I have now learnt/understand the previous visit reporting was all bullshit...this monstrosity had been known about since the 28 January...
 
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KiwiShane said:
From what I have now learnt/understand the previous visit reporting was all bullshit...this monstrosity had been know about since the 27 January...
Click to expand...
Nope. It happened. It's not the president's job to detect them and politics don't really play a role so I'm not pointing fingers.
 
Plainly strange times in our World , as usual …. super bowl Sunday much more entertaining …..
 
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