Balloon spy

[Mike G]

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.

Word is that a U2 pilot took a selfie with the balloon in the background. Badass move.
I'm not able to find the photo yet.

 

[phillysailor]

I had forgotten Trump helped hide the origins of the Coronavirus at first, in order to protect his new bestie Pooh bear.

Perhaps that’s also why he didn’t shoot down their spy balloons and covered up his knowledge of them?

Interesting questions, amiright?

 

[Peter Andersen]

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.

Wait a minute! Are you sure? Most of the libtards here were saying it was just an aimless wayward weather balloon even well after the US Govt confirmed publicly it was a navigable spy balloon. Who to believe?!

 

[Bus Driver]

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.

I have seen where some are arguing the balloon presented no radar reflection, so it was never detected. I guess we should pay no attention to that big fucking piece of metal, with sensors, radios and antennae hanging from the balloon.

I do believe the IC was far more tuned in (both figuratively and literally) to the balloon than the general public will ever know.

 

[badlatitude]

Wait a minute! Are you sure? Most of the libtards here were saying it was just an aimless wayward weather balloon even well after the US Govt confirmed publicly it was a navigable spy balloon. Who to believe?!

Check post #567. I would believe the experts who are also libtards.

 

[Steam Flyer]

I had forgotten Trump helped hide the origins of the Coronavirus at first, in order to protect his new bestie Pooh bear.

View attachment 573628

Perhaps that’s also why he didn’t shoot down their spy balloons and covered up his knowledge of them?

Interesting questions, amiright?

It's refreshing to have a national leader who is willing to sell out his own country and bring harm to his own citizens, for the sake of adulation and a better chance of clinging to power. Remember, Trump is NOT a politician!

 

[Dog 2.0]

I guess what I'm wondering is if we could/did prevent the balloon from transmitting data back to China.

 

[Bus Driver]

I guess what I'm wondering is if we could/did prevent the balloon from transmitting data back to China.

Assuming we can/did, do you really think that info would be shared with you?

 

[Dog 2.0]

Assuming we can/did, do you really think that info would be shared with you?

If some here may know more about jamming signals than I do, why not.

 

[Olsonist]

Assuming we can/did, do you really think that info would be shared with you?

The Chinese would know. We wouldn't. You would then have to ask who this is being kept secret from.

This balloon isn't an inverted spy Hubble flying at 60,000 feet. I think it's being blown way out of proportion, it's a balloon, mostly by the media in need of a story and now the national security state in need of funding.

BTW, it communicates with satellites. You'd have to jam the satellite receiver which is probably hard™.

 

[Bus Driver]

If some here may know more about jamming signals than I do, why not.

If some here are intimately involved with the current capabilities of our IC, I don't believe they would be sharing that insight, here.

That kind of thing would be frowned upon by their employer.

 

[Dog 2.0]

If some here are intimately involved with the current capabilities of our IC, I don't believe they would be sharing that insight, here.

That kind of thing would be frowned upon by their employer.

I'm not really interested in "intimately involved with current capabilities" I want to know if we could jam the signal from the balloon?

 

[Bus Driver]

I'm not really interested in "intimately involved with current capabilities" I want to know if we could jam the signal from the balloon?

I have to imagine we could. And, at that point, we've shown our hand.

Better to eavesdrop and gather info without revealing we are doing so.

 

[kent_island_sailor]

The Chinese would know. We wouldn't. You would then have to ask who this is being kept secret from.

This balloon isn't an inverted spy Hubble flying at 60,000 feet. I think it's being blown way out of proportion, it's a balloon, mostly by the media in need of a story and now the national security state in need of funding.

BTW, it communicates with satellites. You'd have to jam the satellite receiver which is probably hard™.

Some of you have an odd view of sovereignty and security.
This overflight is a gross violation of national sovereignty no matter how well it functions or doesn't function.
How would you like to find your neighbor in your bedroom with a camera? Well sure maybe it is a crappy camera and maybe the guy is a 90 pound weakling, but if you just ignore him you have now let the whole neighborhood know your house is a free-for-all and will not be defended.
When the local division of criminals sees your boot in his ass while he flies out the door, the correct message has been sent.
Also sad to say, but international relations are not the bar at the yacht club after Wednesday Night Beercans. Think more like a prison yard. One of the reasons prisoners are so prone to fight over what looks like trivia is that once you look weak, it is very hard to be anything else but the prison bitch from then on.

 

[Olsonist]

Absolutely. Shoot it down but it isn't a big deal. Maybe not with a stealthy F22 and an inert Sidewinder off a tourist beach on national television but yeah, shoot the motherfucker down. Probably earlier than later. Wyoming was created for a reason. Maybe this was that reason. Yep, China should have popped its cork over the Pacific. So they get no say. It's still not a big deal.

 

[kent_island_sailor]

Absolutely. Shoot it down but it isn't a big deal. Maybe not with a stealthy F22 and an inert Sidewinder off a tourist beach on national television but yeah, shoot the motherfucker down. Probably earlier than later. Wyoming was created for a reason. Maybe this was that reason. Yep, China should have popped its cork over the Pacific. So they get no say. It's still not a big deal.

I actually think it is kind of funny, of all the totally obvious and easy to trace ways to spy on someone, 1860s Civil War tech for the win

Union Army Balloon Corps - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

FYI - during the cold war we flew some glider flights over the Warsaw Pact. Fiberglass airplane, no metal engine, no heat, no noise, about as stealth as you can be at night.

 

[Snaggletooth]

I adgree, shootte it dowen, butte try macke it looke licke a accidentte. Mabey have Jen Appel fly a skydive plane into it...... juste sayeng.

 

[badlatitude]

I guess what I'm wondering is if we could/did prevent the balloon from transmitting data back to China.

The Awacs E-3 Sentry might be able to, and it has broad capabilities, including jamming but is classified.

 

[kent_island_sailor]

The Awacs E-3 Sentry might be able to, and it has broad capabilities, including jamming but is classified.

Probably a lot more useful to capture the message traffic to see what it sends back and how

 

[badlatitude]

Probably a lot more useful to capture the message traffic to see what it sends back and how

I agree. This shouldn't be shuffled aside. It should be investigated without the bullshit.