Look Up! Chinese Spy Balloon overhead

[baboon]

That's one ugly ass ballon they shot down, but it was for the greater good of the country.

 

[easy rider]

Pretty sure we cancelled our ASAT program in 1988

Remembering that Russia was testing their ASAT system not too long ago, I had to look into that. While we may not be testing, this seems to indicate there is still an ASAT program.

U.S. Decision on ASAT Testing a Positive Step Towards Space Sustainability

The United States recently committed not to conduct destructive, direct-ascent anti-satellite missile testing. This sets an important example others might follow and takes an important first step towards a binding, international ban.

www.rand.org

 

[popper]

So our fighters don't have guns on them anymore. Just hit the balloon and the payload pretty much stays intact. Until it hit the surface. Real PROBLEM -- cheaper to float steerable balloons over the US than launch ICBMs toward US!! We provide al the wind info to the GPS steered balloon and the GPS guided bomb hits accurately? Hmm, CCP ain't so dumb it seems. Ventusky says they could hit US and Europe but we can't hit Moscow.

 

[Renegade]

Remembering that Russia was testing their ASAT system not too long ago, I had to look into that. While we may not be testing, this seems to indicate there is still an ASAT program.

U.S. Decision on ASAT Testing a Positive Step Towards Space Sustainability

The United States recently committed not to conduct destructive, direct-ascent anti-satellite missile testing. This sets an important example others might follow and takes an important first step towards a binding, international ban.

www.rand.org

The point was it is easier to shoot down a balloon with F-22/9X than it is to shootdown a satellite. Anyone (like that writer) who thinks other wise is an uninformed doofus.

Some more of his wisdom:

The most likely reason it has not been shot down is because it is very difficult to shoot down.

High altitude balloons travel at 80,000 to 120,000 feet.

These balloons also emit little to no heat signature, which makes them very difficult to target using missiles

 

[Renegade]

So our fighters don't have guns on them anymore. Just hit the balloon and the payload pretty much stays intact. Until it hit the surface. Real PROBLEM -- cheaper to float steerable balloons over the US than launch ICBMs toward US!! We provide al the wind info to the GPS steered balloon and the GPS guided bomb hits accurately? Hmm, CCP ain't so dumb it seems. Ventusky says they could hit US and Europe but we can't hit Moscow.

sarcasm? They all have guns, generally the same one in different configs20mm M61 Vulcan.

I too wonder why they did not perforate the balloon with 20mm.

 

[joking]

Obiden is taking credit already.

Biden says he authorized Pentagon days ago to shoot down Chinese spy balloon

President Joe Biden told reporters on Saturday that he ordered the Pentagon to shoot down the Chinese spy balloon on Wednesday but that they waited due to safety concerns.

www.foxnews.com

Jill Biden praises Joe and military for shooting down China balloon

Jill Biden on Saturday praised her husband Joe Biden's decision to shoot down a Chinese balloon suspected of spying on America.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[BigRed]

You've got a central state that will not defend your home but will confiscate your property with force and send it to a ****hole like Ukraine while at the same time hold open a door for an invasion from the south.

Secession from this corrupted central state is LONG past due.

 

[TxPython357]

The point is not whether we could shoot it down, the point is why we didn't.

 

[wakosama]

We sent all the balloon killer missiles to Ukraine?

 

[Bozz10mm]

Last I heard, the balloon was over Missouri on Friday. Today it gets shot down off the coast of the Carolinas. I'm surprised that it could move that fast.