Chinese "Spy Balloon" over CONUS.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: asabuvsobelow

Ok, sure. We’ll just let a great opportunity to gather extremely valuable Intel, in our own back yard, because we want to make people feel better. That makes perfect sense. Screw the guys that may have to actually fight China, it’s far more important that Ma and Pa Kettle feel good.

As for the rest, whatever you say. You’re the expert.

I have to agree with you, Zaph. Who could pass up free intel floating along on a silver platter?

a reply to: InachMarbank

At 66,000 feet, at night time, you're saying it's reflecting the sun?

If the angle is right, yes, but at that low altitude it wouldn't have a long-term access to sunlight. More likely it is simply refracting moonlight or reflecting light pollution from the ground. That's why I said "ambient light" instead of "sunlight."

It's not like it is a "mini-sun" or anything. The glow at night would be pretty minimal.

TheRedneck

a reply to: Zaphod58

C'mon Zaph you know any tech in there is already stolen from the US.

a reply to: asabuvsobelow

The American people don't care about some intelligence gathering

That's why the average American isn't in charge of military intelligence. To be able to make those level decisions, one must have a lifetime of military experience and a good head for strategy (or one must be a complete mental case with a criminal family background and advanced dementia).

Zaphod is absolutely right that we are busy trying to get as much intelligence as possible from this thing, and militarily that is a very good thing. My concern is that while we are looking for intelligence, China has gotten intelligence. I see technological possibilities that scare me. There are ways to cut through a jamming signal, and I hope our military has taken them into consideration. China is good at doing the unexpected and using misdirection.

TheRedneck

a reply to: Oldcarpy2

Yea not a good look, but the most apt comparison I have heard is similar to sputnik. Avg folks have no idea what it could be doing, and usually the media doesnt cover this sort of thing so they think its bigger than normal.

a reply to: Irishhaf

Yes, that's a very good comparison.

originally posted by: Mantiss2021
a reply to: SrWingCommander

Fascinating!

I've been talking about the use of high-altitude lighter than air vehicles (LAV's) as potential ISR platforms for years.

Actually proposed an extremely high-altitude, long duration powered airship/divisible as an early waring defense/weapons platform against hypersonic weapons.

Was told it wasn't practical. Go figure.


I note that the Pentagon is calling it a balloon, and have, so far, refrained from shooting it down out of concern for the "risk to the safety and security of the people on the ground from the possible debris field".

That's bullsh#t.


If it were really just a "balloon", as they claim, the debris field would be rather small (likely less than an American football field) and most of the debris would consist of the balloon envelope itself. The payload (the ISR equipment suite), could weigh a couple tons, depending on the size of the balloon, and could pose a danger if it fell on a densely populated area.

But EVERY balloon launch I've ever been a part of had an altitude-triggered parachute recovery system integrated into the payload system.

Because you can't "land" a balloon that is "just a balloon"!


Nope!

My money is on this intruder being more than a balloon.

I think it is actually an autonomous, long distance/duration stratospheric self-propelled airship.


And that, if you read, and understood what I had mentioned as a proposal earlier, is worrisome.

Possible Payloads on this Chinese Balloon ............

A Compact EMP Weapon
A Biological Weapon
A Conventional Bomb heading for a Specific Target in the U.S.
A Surveillance Platform for Mapping U.S. Military Installations
A False Flag Psy-Op
It does Not Exist , and the Story is FAKE

Take Your Pick . .....................

I wonder how they will do it

Busting That Chinese Spy Balloon Is Harder Than You Think (Updated)

a floating fire starter low tech floats across the country dripping napalm to burn an entire country down. This just put that idea and invention on steroids with the ability to carry a biological and nuclear payload
God is real and we are in a lot of trouble
a reply to: SrWingCommander

originally posted by: Fairtrade141
Truthfully, after my belief that it was photographed behind the ISS, I think my brand of idiocy held more water. What I cannot stand about our media is at first they have these low resolution photographs of things, and then boom, you get the whole picture and it makes people like me look retarded. Short bus retarded.

So when I see people tilting at windmills I try to give them the benefit of the doubt that maybe one day they’ll realize they were in error. I mean, I’m actually a pretty smart guy but without intellectual honesty it makes someone look like a moron. a reply to: McGinty

That's my favourite reply in a long while. You and me both, my friend - see you at the windmill

originally posted by: stormbringercompanion
Even the Brits could have downed this in the 1970's if they had wanted to. The BAC Lightning by mid 70's could be above 60,000 feet in under four minutes from take-off. Whatever it is, there are multiple solutions to bring it down. what surprises me is that it wasn't splashed over the Pacific.

Indeed! Take it down over US waters. It doesn't add up!

The easiest way I can think of bringing it down is a video guided missile. Fly it through the balloon a few times. The payload of the missile would be a large parashoot, some extendable hooks and an inflatable pontoon.

Then last pass through the streamering balloon would use the hooks to grab the material.

At around 10,000 feet. The misles parashoot would deploy and the float activate.

Any fighter platform could be used to get it close enough to launch then fly it remotely.

As far as the communications back to China go, I would suspect it just has modified satalight phones. Download whatever it collects when they get in range.

Shrugs,I don't give a Fu*k...

The only point of an EMP attack is to pre-emptively paralyse the enemy so they're blind to an all out nuke attack and unable to counter attack. EMP attack by a foreign state for any other reason would have such dire repercussions, it makes the move not worth it.

Now, i know diddly about EMP counter measures. Is it possible to shield from it - you know, like kryptonite can't hurt superman from inside a lead bow? Sorry, couldn't resist the inappropriate metaphor

If it is possible to shield from EMP, then surely all US silos are shielded. Then there'd be no point in the EMP, apart from disrupting the local infrastructure, but counter attack would still happen; the deterrent is still viable.

a reply to: beyondknowledge

Yeah, that would be soooo easy to do.

I'm sure the USAF has any number of such missiles.

That was sarcasm, please?

At least the terrorists know they can use a balloon for the next attack on us.

a reply to: Resurrection1

You are overcomplicating it. Just put one of the chemicals in a glass capsul inside the pingpong ball. That would make it impact fused.

Look out for falling pingpong balls.

a reply to: matafuchs

C'mon Zaph you know any tech in there is already stolen from the US.

Not necessarily. They don't have our UFO technology yet. Same stuff that Robert Lazar filmed in the desert in 1989 has been zipping around here since May 2018 in South Carolina. Michael Lee Hill also filmed them over Lake Erie off Cleveland several years ago.

Those are the five color pulsating flashing random red, blue, yellow, white and green triangles. I have a email from The Black Vault and they see what we saw. USA Classified Space Force. I poked him Zaph on it and he shot craps as in no response

a reply to: beyondknowledge

Yep. That would sure destroy the entire Continental US.

Ping pong balls?!!!!

This thread is the gift that keeps on giving.

This thing could be dropping vials of some virus , Why allow it to continue once it was discovered ?