Chinese Balloon - 2023

[GaryK]

Whoops.

It looks like at least 3 Chinese military balloons passed over the US during the Trump Administration and they did nothing.

But one passes over during the Biden Administration and conservative media completely loses it.

https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stori ... ina-coast/

Ken, do you still stand by your above remarks?

The Biden administration is willing to brief former Trump officials on newly discovered intelligence that China sent spy balloons into U.S. airspace during their time in charge.

The offer, described by senior Biden administration officials on Sunday night, comes as former President Donald Trump and senior members of his national security team say they were never briefed on such an incursion by a Beijing-sent aircraft.

“This information was discovered after the prior administration left. The intelligence community is prepared to offer key officials from the Trump administration briefings on [China’s] surveillance program,” one of the officials said. The official, along with several others, asked not to be named in order to discuss sensitive information.

https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/0 ... s-00081257

[temporal1]

There’s a new thread with plenty of space to note specific apologies.

“Rare Events:” ..
viewtopic.php?t=5423

- - - - - - -

”Colombia releases more details about second Chinese spy balloon hovering over Latin America as country says it causes 'no threat to national security' but it is reviewing ties with Beijing: Video appears to show it flying above Cartagena”

The Colombian Air Force released details about the second Chinese spy balloon
A second balloon traveled east over Costa Rica, Colombia and Venezuela
Images show the balloon over Cartagena, Colombia, and Maracaibo, Venezuela
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... erica.html



(From what i’ve read) these balloons aren’t just in free-float, but are navigable .. ?
Information will be gained by all scientists, not just Chinese. That would be the presumption from history, anyway.

Evidently, the Chinese agree:

Rear Admiral Grace Hopper

It's Easier to Ask Forgiveness Than It Is To Get Permission

is a quote from the late Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, who was a U.S. Naval officer.Apr 21, 2021

[temporal1]

Anthony Brian Logan / US Military Shoots Down ANOTHER Object, This Time Near Alaska. WHY? / -12min



Pentagon gives update on 'high-altitude object' shot down over Alaska / -14min

[Ken]

Anthony Brian Logan / US Military Shoots Down ANOTHER Object, This Time Near Alaska. WHY?

I guess they can't win. First they were too slow on the trigger, now they are too fast?

The news report that I heard driving home from work today said that it was a potential hazard to air navigation (lots of airlines fly the polar route from the US to Europe). And so they sent a fighter plane up to inspect it close up, determined that it was unmanned, and then shot it down.

The correct and lawful thing for any scientific or technical balloon projects would be to notify the US and other countries of the experiment and get clearance to launch a project that will pass over US airspace. Otherwise this is what you risk. Getting your balloon shot down.

[temporal1]

Not sure how reading-in “too fast” adds anything constructive.

[barnhart]

Maybe the last one was over populated areas so it was allowed to drift out to sea before being shot down, and this one they caught earlier so they brought it down right away. Maybe it's really that simple.

[temporal1]

Maybe the last one was over populated areas so it was allowed to drift out to sea before being shot down, and this one they caught earlier so they brought it down right away. Maybe it's really that simple.

If you listen to Anthony Brian Logan’s thoughts, he’s saying the U.S. knew about the first balloon before, or when it was launched in China. Another retired military leader said it could have and should have been dispatched once it hit U.S. airspace, before reaching land (as this latest object was).

True or false?
i don’t know, but i don’t discount ABL’s thoughts out of hand.

Considering the bidens’ complex involvement with China over years, it’s more than fair to question why the first balloon was allowed to (complete its mission) before being downed in the Atlantic.

In the past, there have been close calls or breaches by foreign military aircraft into U.S. airspace, in my memory, warnings given.

Balloons are something different, we’ll see what is devised to respond to them.
Deploying high-powered sophisticated fighter jets seems a bit much. $$$$ Not to suggest i have better ideas.

The whole thing is bizarre. We can pray these are our worst problems, and nothing accelerates.

[Ken]

Maybe the last one was over populated areas so it was allowed to drift out to sea before being shot down, and this one they caught earlier so they brought it down right away. Maybe it's really that simple.

If you listen to Anthony Brian Logan’s thoughts, he’s saying the U.S. knew about the first balloon before, or when it was launched in China. Another retired military leader said it could have and should have been dispatched once it hit U.S. airspace, before reaching land (as this latest object was).

True or false?
i don’t know, but i don’t discount ABL’s thoughts out of hand.

Considering the bidens’ complex involvement with China over years, it’s more than fair to question why the first balloon was allowed to (complete its mission) before being downed in the Atlantic.

In the past, there have been close calls or breaches by foreign military aircraft into U.S. airspace, in my memory, warnings given.

Balloons are something different, we’ll see what is devised to respond to them.
Deploying high-powered sophisticated fighter jets seems a bit much. $$$$ Not to suggest i have better ideas.

The whole thing is bizarre. We can pray these are our worst problems, and nothing accelerates.

Well, USAF fighter pilots have to fly several hundred hours per year just to maintain their qualifications and proficiency. So instead of just flying patrols in the air and running combat simulations, this at least gives them something different to do once in a while.

If they weren't flying these missions then they'd just be flying other random patrols and training flights to maintain their proficiency. So I'm not sure the cost of the aircraft and flight time is really very meaningful. They would be flying anyway.

[temporal1]

^^This is more conjecture, which may or may not be correct.
Personally, i doubt there aren’t procedures+protocol required to differentiate between training and active, real life missions.

Recently, i added a report (somewhere) about a 9-11-2001 military pilot that was ordered to respond to a (suicide) mission, her orders were to fly into the commercial airliner in the event it became necessary .. similar video:



The U.S. military isn’t some odd video game. They don’t have some petty cash drawer to freely play with.

When our son went to work for Boeing/commercial, we advised him to expect FAA regulations to be comparable to being in the military, although he wasn’t. Much of the work he’s done has required security clearances and classified docs+information, he’s not sloppy, so, i know very little about his work - even in commercial!

i doubt there’s anything informal like, “go fly over there and pop that balloon.”
i’m confident these responses are costing plenty extra - while China laughs.

to repeat, hopefully, things won’t escalate.

[Dan Z]

I would assume that the people who get paid and trained to make decisions about air defense, and have all the intel and technical capabilities at their disposal, would have probably had thoughtful reasons why and when to pull the trigger on the balloon.

I, for one, don't feel especially well-positioned to second-guess them.