Balloon games

[ET2SN]

[Jimbuna]

[Aktungbby]

... Mr. Xi's citing "force majeure" to fly over Canada and the US instead of "right of innocent passage" when violating" US territorial waters in the Bering Strait in search of global mineral resources...is indicative of Bejing's double-standard when we transgress their South China Sea suzerainity in support of VietNam, Philippine and Japinese allies" interests... The unmitigated proof will be the response when we launch equally innocent balloons over China...and see how they respond to their own affront to their own territorial soveriegnty.... The real question is: what could the PRC hope to learn that their ample spy-satellites haven't already shown them- truly a waste of time, money, and rare-earth resources in the buildup to the other half of WWIII. Mere provocation is the only logical surmise...

[Aktungbby]

It is worth noting: prior to the current balloon situation, "there had been incursions over the continental US. At least 3 of those were during Trump's presidency, while one occurred during Biden's term. They were of short duration, which may have factored in their non-detection. The Pentagon said over the weekend that China has a fleet of surveillance balloons spotted previously over Latin America, Europe and Asia...so be it; I'd like to see Frank01 and his F-22 get 4 more balloons if only to display more competence than three administrations as to aerial security; and a check to Sino-disdain for international rules on 'force majeure'.(''an irresponsible act and clear violation of US sovereignty and international law'). The Chinese objection to our 'overraction' is less than strident as Xi emphasizes a wish to restore Secretary Blinken's now cancelled visit. Some Sino scholars have acknowledged that the shootdown 'demonstrated America's distrust of China rather than an attempt by China to provoke or challenge Washington; the more so as Biden is under pressure to show toughness in dealing with China.' Recovery of the balloon's payload will clarify matters considerably-but one thing is clear, it wasn't a weather balloon...so the Chinese are, at least, liars who don't apologize for accidental airspace intrusions at best. Footnote to history: this was the first US target kill from such a high altitude(approx 58,000 ft).

[Platapus]

I wonder how much this cost?


How much did it cost the Chinese to send that balloon and payload?


How much did it cost the USA to track and shoot that balloon down?




Some sources state that a single AIM-9 missile is $200,000 to $300,000 each. Yikes!

[Otto Harkaman]

Yep that was the chance to test a blimp mounted rail gun

[em2nought]

Would have been a whole lot cheaper to get Feinstein's driver to sneak into Biden's garage.

[Ostfriese]

Originally Posted by Otto Harkaman

Yep that was the chance to test a blimp mounted rail gun

I'd love to see how they'd transport the necessary power plant.

[Otto Harkaman]

Originally Posted by Ostfriese

I'd love to see how they'd transport the necessary power plant.

The blimp itself would be a Nikola Tesla modified Van de Gaaff generator, generating electrostatic energy as it moved through the atmosphere.

[August]

Originally Posted by Ostfriese

I'd love to see how they'd transport the necessary power plant.

No need for fancy lasers I'd say. Just mount a big magnifying glass on that blimp and then focus the suns rays on the balloons skin. Should make a nice hole in it in short order without need of expensive missiles or other fancy gadgetry.

[ET2SN]

Many still seem to be confused about this whole Balloon thing.

Here's a video which mostly explains what's going on:

[Buddahaid]

Originally Posted by Platapus

I wonder how much this cost?


How much did it cost the Chinese to send that balloon and payload?


How much did it cost the USA to track and shoot that balloon down?




Some sources state that a single AIM-9 missile is $200,000 to $300,000 each. Yikes!

Well, the balloon didn't sneak in and it would be tracked regardless by people already employed to do that while at work. Photo recon? Who cares! You can go on Google Earth and see the same thing. Pictures of silo covers? Why not! What's the point of nuclear deterrents if your enemies can't see they exist?

[Armistead]

When it flew over the mountains here in NC I know several country folks were taking pot shots with their high powered rifles at it. I was waiting myself for a shot if it come over my farm, but no luck

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by Armistead

When it flew over the mountains here in NC I know several country folks were taking pot shots with their high powered rifles at it. I was waiting myself for a shot if it come over my farm, but no luck

At 60,000 feet! no wonder the South lost but I'd B atakin' a pot at it myself
Now i understand
China is 'requesting its balloon back"

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has requested that President Joe Biden’s administration return debris from the air balloon that the US military shot down off America’s east coast on Saturday, saying the aircraft “belongs to China.” Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday, ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning was asked whether Beijing had asked for the balloon debris to be returned. “The airship does not belong to the US,” she said. “It belongs to China.”

Ning’s comments came three days after a US fighter jet shot down the balloon – alleged by American officials to be a spying aircraft – off the coast of South Carolina. The Pentagon claimed to have detected the balloon on Wednesday. Biden faced fierce criticism for allowing the balloon to cross the continent, passing over a nuclear missile site and other sensitive military assets, before bringing it down. The balloon was a civilian meteorological research airship that entered US airspace inadvertently after being blown off course, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Friday. Ning said some US politicians and media outlets “hyped” the incident to “attack and smear China.” ((always that pissy 'Century of shame' chip-on-the-shoulder 'tude)
) She declined to provide any more details about the airship on Tuesday. “The Chinese side has given information about the unmanned airship on several occasions,” Ning said. “I don’t have anything to add at the moment.” She added that the US government failed to respond in a “calm and professional manner,” instead overreacting to an incident that posed no security threat and didn’t endanger any Americans.

US Senator Steve Daines, a Montana Republican, speculated that Chinese officials sent the balloon across North America to probe Washington’s response. “This was really more of a trial balloon by the Chinese,” Daines told Fox News on Monday. He added that Biden was “indecisive,” projecting weakness. “It was exactly what the Chinese wanted to see happen.”

Originally Posted by ME

The real question is: what could the PRC hope to learn that their ample spy-satellites haven't already shown them- truly a waste of time, money, and rare-earth resources in the buildup to the other half of WWIII. Mere provocation is the only logical surmise...

[August]

Originally Posted by Armistead

When it flew over the mountains here in NC I know several country folks were taking pot shots with their high powered rifles at it. I was waiting myself for a shot if it come over my farm, but no luck

Just FYI a .30-06 round fired straight up will only get to about 10,000 feet before it starts back down. At which point you'll have about a minute to clear the impact zone.