Balloon spy

[kent_island_sailor]

I have heard from 2 others who remember, as well.

Your point is taken.

Ignore works a treat on things that raise your blood pressure

 

[Mike in Seattle]

"Stories" tend to "change" as more evidence is gathered and shared.

You sound like one of those "the Science was WRONG" buffoons.

, and you sound like someone who believes everything the administration/media tells you.

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They wanted to shoot it down in shallow water to recover and examine it thoroughly. So, Gulf of Alaska, or British Columbia deep forest were non-starters.

I can agree with the gulf as being sub optimum.

BC should have been first choice, rather then let it complete it's mission.

(1) no ocean currents to scatter pieces.

(2) with a reasonably close "geo tag" by the F22,
, loggers would find it PDQ

 

[Steam Flyer]

, and you sound like someone who believes everything the administration/media tells you.

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



I can agree with the gulf as being sub optimum.

BC should have been first choice, rather then let it complete it's mission.

(1) no ocean currents to scatter pieces.

(2) with a reasonably close "geo tag" by the F22,
, loggers would find it PDQ

Huh
No ocean currents off BC?

Well, you learn a lot on the internet, doncha

 

[Bus Driver]

I can agree with the gulf as being sub optimum.

BC should have been first choice, rather then let it complete it's mission.

(1) no ocean currents to scatter pieces.

(2) with a reasonably close "geo tag" by the F22,
, loggers would find it PDQ

You seem to believe our own intelligence community is inept, and could not take the opportunity this presented to gather intelligence on that the Chinese were doing with this balloon. I guess you think its presence was noted and the IC collectively said "Oh, well. Nothing we can do or learn about this. Let's just let it fly overhead, doing its thing, and then deal with it when it won't fall on anyone."

 

[Mike in Seattle]

I'm pretty sure there aren't any ocean currents in the forests of BC.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

#448 Bus

(insert bright purple) , and our professionals couldn't track it.

, and they couldn't shoot it down in the Gulf of Alaska ,,

, and they couldn't kill it over British Ccolumbia
, where it could fall in a forest .

 

[badlatitude]

Chinese Balloon Had Tools to Collect Communications Signals, U.S. Says​

China’s surveillance balloons have flown over more than 40 countries and are directed by the Chinese military, the State Department said.

The Chinese spy balloon shot down by the U.S. military over the Atlantic Ocean was capable of collecting communications signals and was part of a fleet of surveillance balloons directed by the Chinese military that had flown over more than 40 countries across five continents, the State Department said Thursday.
The United States used high resolution imagery from U-2 flybys to determine the balloon’s capabilities, the department said in a written announcement, adding that the balloon’s equipment “was clearly for intelligence surveillance and inconsistent with the equipment onboard weather balloons.”
The agency said the balloon had multiple antennas in an array that was “likely capable of collecting and geo-locating communications.” Solar panels on the machine were large enough to produce power to operate “multiple active intelligence collection sensors,” the department said.
The agency also said the U.S. government was “confident” that the company that made the balloon had direct commercial ties with the People’s Liberation Army, the Chinese military, citing an official procurement portal for the army. The department did not name the company.

“The United States will also explore taking action against P.R.C. entities linked to the P.L.A. that supported the balloon’s incursion into U.S. airspace,” the State Department said, referring to the People’s Republic of China. “We will also look at broader efforts to expose and address the P.R.C.’s larger surveillance activities that pose a threat to our national security, and to our allies and partners.”
More at the link: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/09/us/politics/china-spy-balloon-program.html

 

[Steam Flyer]

I'm pretty sure there aren't any ocean currents in the forests of BC.

Ah so, now I see where you're going.

This wasn't discussed much publicly, but I think the US spooks decided they could gain intel from the device by letting it go for a while; plus the publicly stated reasons they don't want it to crash on land because 1- it could hit somebody and 2- it would smash into a million little unrecognizable pieces so it would be far more difficult/impossible to reverse-engineer.

But "China Spy Balloon" is a great veneer to plaster over the constant screeching "DEMOCRAT = BAD!!!" so please carry on.

 

[badlatitude]

Ah so, now I see where you're going.

This wasn't discussed much publicly, but I think the US spooks decided they could gain intel from the device by letting it go for a while; plus the publicly stated reasons they don't want it to crash on land because 1- it could hit somebody and 2- it would smash into a million little unrecognizable pieces so it would be far more difficult/impossible to reverse-engineer.

But "China Spy Balloon" is a great veneer to plaster over the constant screeching "DEMOCRAT = BAD!!!" so please carry on.

Also, we did not know at the time if whatever powered the equipment inside of the balloon(aside from solar power) could harm the environment.

 

[Bus Driver]

Ah so, now I see where you're going.

This wasn't discussed much publicly, but I think the US spooks decided they could gain intel from the device by letting it go for a while; plus the publicly stated reasons they don't want it to crash on land because 1- it could hit somebody and 2- it would smash into a million little unrecognizable pieces so it would be far more difficult/impossible to reverse-engineer.

But "China Spy Balloon" is a great veneer to plaster over the constant screeching "DEMOCRAT = BAD!!!" so please carry on.

Sounds like Mike wasn't informed of the capabilities of our own spooks, and what they could/did do as the ballon floated along, so he assumes we just sat there, with a thumb up our ass.

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Bus #448
They TOLD us they couldn't track it in the first series of lies changing stories.

, steams
crashing down through treetops is a lot less destructive the hitting the water,
.and a far better success rate at finding all the parts

,, whatever powered the equipment inside of the balloon(aside from solar power) could harm the environment

, and a LOT easier to find it all, as well as clean up in the forest rather than being spread around by currents


edit; and it would not have completed it's mission

 

[Steam Flyer]

Also, we did not know at the time if whatever powered the equipment inside of the balloon(aside from solar power) could harm the environment.

Well, yeah, dropping a nuclear reactor... even a little one... from 60,000 ft altitude would be stupid

 

[Steam Flyer]

steams
crashing down through treetops is a lot less destructive the hitting the water,
.and a far better success rate at finding all the parts
...

Do you actually believe your own bullshit

 

[Bus Driver]

Bus #448
They TOLD us they couldn't track it in the first series of lies changing stories.

, and you sound like someone who believes everything the administration/media tells you.

 

[d'ranger]

oh no, the USA is losing the balloon race. Time to create the Near Space Force! that will show them.

edit: oh, I just found the perfect music to introduce the NEAR SPACE FORCE

 

[Dog 2.0]

Sounds like Mike wasn't informed of the capabilities of our own spooks, and what they could/did do as the ballon floated along, so he assumes we just sat there, with a thumb up our ass.

I'm uninformed wrt what we could/did do also. Please do tell?

 

[badlatitude]

I'm uninformed wrt what we could/did do also. Please do tell?

Post #567
<snip>The United States used high resolution imagery from U-2 flybys to determine the balloon’s capabilities, the department said in a written announcement, adding that the balloon’s equipment “was clearly for intelligence surveillance and inconsistent with the equipment onboard weather balloons.”
The agency said the balloon had multiple antennas in an array that was “likely capable of collecting and geo-locating communications.” Solar panels on the machine were large enough to produce power to operate “multiple active intelligence collection sensors,” the department said."

Seems like a competent assessment to me. Others opinions may differ depending on reading ability.

 

[kent_island_sailor]

I'm uninformed wrt what we could/did do also. Please do tell?

Anyone who knows isn't going to be posting it here

 

[Bus Driver]

I'm uninformed wrt what we could/did do also. Please do tell?

In addition to what badlat shared (above), I am of the opinion our spying capabilities are rather impressive and we are capable of monitoring any transmission emanating from that balloon. That is the minimum. Of course, I am not a member of the IC, nor are you, so we can only guess at what is possible. I guess I could borrow a phrase from you and say "I am not qualified...."

If you feel the need to believe we are not capable of such things, don't let me stand in your way.

 

[Steam Flyer]

I'm kind of surprised to hear that our surveillance/intel/air defense could not detect or track a balloon approaching our borders.

Could easily be a red herring.