Pentagon Tracking Suspected Chinese Spy Balloon Over the US

[Ghoti Ichthus]

I think I'm more concerned over the potential for agri and bio terrorism from the balloons than spying (although that important too)

Pentagon tracking suspected Chinese spy balloon over the US​

By Oren Liebermann, Haley Britzky and Michael Conte, CNN
Updated 9:14 PM EST, Thu February 2, 2023

"The US is tracking a suspected Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon over the continental United States, a senior defense official said on Thursday.
The Pentagon has been tracking the balloon for several days as it made its way over the northern United States, Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said.
“We are confident that this high-altitude surveillance balloon belongs to the [People’s Republic of China],” the senior defense official said. “Instances of this activity have been observed over the past several years, including prior to this administration.”
“The balloon is currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground,” Ryder said, adding that the US military decided against shooting the balloon down.
While the balloon’s current flight path carries it over “a number of sensitive sites,” the official said it does not present a significant intelligence gathering risk. The balloon is assessed to have “limited additive value” from an intelligence collection perspective, the official added."

More
https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/02/politics/us-tracking-china-spy-balloon/index.html


Dear God, please protect us.

 

[Kenny]

Nothing to see here folks, it's just a Chinese surveillance balloon gathering intel over Montana, the area with many Inter-continental ballistic missile silos, per the CNN article. Gen. Mark Milley declares it's nothing to be worried about, yeah the guy that oversaw the botched pull out of Afghanistan that unnecessarily got thirteen Americans killed. Why don't I feel safe?

 

[Tall Timbers]

Tracking it... our current administration is of no positive value.

 

[Forgetmenot]

Just trying to survey the farmland they bought. Nothing to see here, lol.....

 

[Footsteps]

The Pentamoron has concluded that the balloon is now over rural Montana. I’ll start a GoFundMe for any cow killed by our munitions dropping onto rangeland. I’m surprised the Pentamoron did not point out that Japanese fugo incendiary bombs using the jet stream over the Pacific only killed six Americans during WWII.
And please ignore any morale damage caused by watching a Chinese surveillance unit drift slowly over (Top Secret - Eyes Only).
Also please ignore the purchases of military academies by China. One was attended by Donald Trump. Nothing to see here. Advanced Woke Warfare Parades are probably their most warfare-oriented activity.
Babylon Bee is expressing concern over the Pentamoron use of wide Rainbow Flag stripes as camouflage for Abrams tanks en route to Ukraine. And above all don’t even think about the 300 fatalities daily that result from drug cartels.

 

[MapleLeaf]

Guys, relax! It's just the new egg roll delivery system! Now we can get real Chinese food delivered to our front doors. So very kind of them.

That thing flew over Canada and nobody noticed. At least you guys saw it. Chinese police stations are operating here too. No one is doing anything about that either. It's all so tiresome.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

Guys, relax! It's just the new egg roll delivery system! Now we can get real Chinese food delivered to our front doors. So very kind of them.

I make "real" organic Chinese food. But, it's time-consuming to make the egg rolls, fried wonton, chop up all the various veggies, etc., and even with the exhaust fan going full blast, the house smells of cooking for two days

Haven't made home-made Chinese for a long time

Maybe I should. I like Chinese food, but can't eat carry-out because of the salt, soy, etc.

Although the family that owns the place I get Chinese take-out for Dad are Christians that fled persecution, so good to patronize the business and learn from them

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

At that altitude, is it Air Force or Space Force responsibility?

 

[Spartan Sprinter 1]

You could make a tv show out of this , have the dick dastardly and mutley theme song ( Stop the pidgeon ?) playing whilst the FBI and CIA chase the balloon as it floats around

 

[Armor of Light]

What would happen if the U.S. had a big spy balloon floating over China in some sensitive areas, I think it would be transitioned into minute dust particles.

 

[Wally]

Cheaper than satellites. I give them a thumbs up for creativity.

I wonder if they are using hydrogen to float it, got a match?

Speaking of satellites, I doubt the balloons can see much more. But then they may pose a hazard to SR71's and their replacements.

That's the problem with space, it belongs to those who can get there.

 

[MapleLeaf]

The balloon thing feels like a distraction. The media is playing it up too much.

 

[daygo]

You could make a tv show out of this , have the dick dastardly and mutley theme song ( Stop the pidgeon ?) playing whilst the FBI and CIA chase the balloon as it floats around

Like it haha.

 

[Footsteps]

At that altitude, is it Air Force or Space Force responsibility?

I would refer you to the Defense Department for further obfuscation of your question.

 

[Andy C]

It originally flew over Wash DC, but was moved to a different location after many failed attempts to gather any intelligent conversations.

 

[RobinMc]

Odd to use a balloon, could they not get the intel from satellites? Do we do the same or worse all over the world? Is it worse for them to fly over being nosy or to buy up a bunch of land and factories and operate from the ground?
Just wondering.

 

[Wally]

By the way, does it look like that big baby Donald Trump balloon?

 

[jeanie]

Tracking it... our current administration is of no positive value.

Which is exactly why they specified that it also occurred in other 'administrations'

 

[Wally]

Actually there is a close up and they found Charlie Brown tangled in the line of a kite.

The Administration is trying to find out how he got it past the tree.

 

[Footsteps]

Odd to use a balloon, could they not get the intel from satellites? Do we do the same or worse all over the world? Is it worse for them to fly over being nosy or to buy up a bunch of land and factories and operate from the ground?
Just wondering.

You can see the surveillance units hung at an angle near the bottom of the balloon. This slant (relative to the edge of space limitations) allows side angle views of the targets. Since this worthless administration is going to allow the device to wander across the continent, I can assure you it will lie about the fact that the surveillance data is being broadcast in real time back to China. The damage has been done, and it will continue for days while the Pentamoron minimizes the situation in order to appear to have things under control. “Those grapes are probably spoiled anyway”, said the fox who lacked the ability to reach them. -Aesop, continuing to write our history from the grave.