Chinese Spy Balloon. A Sputnik moment?

[LimaDelta]

Had to check the date on this one. WTAF? Very odd. Not sure what they will gain from a balloon above what they already know from conventional spy satellites, and 80M TikTok users. Perhaps just a psy-ops tool to sow some more discontent among the population, and cause a few more red vs blue arguments.

https://www.reuters.com/world/suspected-chinese-sp...

[Iamnotkloot]

I don’t know why they don’t shoot it down? Surely you can time it so it’s passing as empty a part of the US as possible. Looks a bit limp to just let it go…….

[Don1]

Worry of debris falling apparently....

[LimaDelta]

Iamnotkloot said:

I don’t know why they don’t shoot it down? Surely you can time it so it’s passing as empty a part of the US as possible. Looks a bit limp to just let it go…….

Easier said than done. This is not Hollywood. 60,000 ft is too high for most ground based systems. Aircraft could reach it but expending live ordnance outside of a specified range complex will be a brave decision. Nobody wants 20mm or fragments of AAM raining down on their heads. Even empty parts of the US have people in them.

[Smiler.]

Don1 said:

Worry of debris falling apparently....

It's Chinese, isn't that already a worry?

[rodericb]

A missile wouldn't have to explode - it would just have to punch a hole through it

[LimaDelta]

rodericb said:

A missile wouldn't have to explode - it would just have to punch a hole through it

Where does the missile go after that?

Personally, I'd just follow the string down and arrest whoever is holding it.

[Murph7355]

A bullet?

[Newc]

Some better photos of the balloon have now been published:

[gotoPzero]

There has been a lot of sabre rattling recently.

There was an internal memo leaked by some top brass telling his staff to get ready for a conflict with China in 2025 and in the next few months all personnel should ensure their affairs are in order and to start training.

As for the shoot down I suspect they want to recover it intact..

[Dogwatch]

LimaDelta said:

Personally, I'd just follow the string down and arrest whoever is holding it.

[trickywoo]

gotoPzero said:

As for the shoot down I suspect they want to recover it intact..

This needs to happen with a press conference showing they have it.

Part of the reason Russia is doing what it is has come about because we let them get away with murder for too long. The Chinese need to be put back in their box.

[greygoose]

LimaDelta said:

Iamnotkloot said:

I don’t know why they don’t shoot it down? Surely you can time it so it’s passing as empty a part of the US as possible. Looks a bit limp to just let it go…….

Easier said than done. This is not Hollywood. 60,000 ft is too high for most ground based systems. Aircraft could reach it but expending live ordnance outside of a specified range complex will be a brave decision. Nobody wants 20mm or fragments of AAM raining down on their heads. Even empty parts of the US have people in them.

Large pin on the front of a plane?

Given the number of gun related deaths in America I am sure they could accept a couple more from shooting this down.

[vulture1]

LimaDelta said:

rodericb said:

A missile wouldn't have to explode - it would just have to punch a hole through it

Where does the missile go after that?.

Up

[DaveTheRave87]

I wonder where the other 98 are...

[gotoPzero]

I bet there is also a lot of radio sniffing going on to see how they are getting the data back. Probably using star link <LOL face>...

[GliderRider]

The Myasishchev Chaika, the aircraft from which the Myasishchev M-55 Geophysika (below) was derived, was intended to shoot down American spy balloons, so maybe an armed U-2 is on the cards?

[gotoPzero]

They will 100% have something to bring this down, what ever happens will almost certainly happen on a nice cloudy night....

[Electro1980]

More seriously, I do wonder if they don’t think it’s worth messing with. They know where it is and what it’s doing.

[normalbloke]

Laser it baby….