Chinese spy balloon spotted flying over US

[sds71]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1621527417796829185

 

[dotr]

rbbm.

CityNews

toronto.citynews.ca

''The Department of National Defence says Canada is working with the United States to protect sensitive information from foreign intelligence threats after a high-altitude surveillance balloon was detected.

The U.S. says it is tracking a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that has been spotted over U.S. airspace for a few days.''

“Canada’s intelligence agencies are working with American partners and continue to take all necessary measures to safeguard Canada’s sensitive information from foreign intelligence threats.”

A senior U.S. defence official said the U.S. has “very high confidence” it is a Chinese high-altitude balloon, and said it was flying over sensitive sites to collect information.

One of the places the balloon was spotted was Montana, which is home to one of the nation’s three nuclear missile silo fields at Malmstrom Air Force Base. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information.''

LOL. it was a mighty wind of some kind! imo.

CityNews

toronto.citynews.ca

''China said Friday that a balloon spotted over American airspace was used for weather research and was blown off course, despite U.S. suspicion it was spying. The discovery further strained already tense relations between Beijing and Washington.''

 

[dotr]

 

[evilwise]

Pentagon tracking suspected Chinese spy balloon over the US

The US is tracking a suspected Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon over the continental United States, defense officials said on Thursday, a discovery that risks adding further strain to tense US-China relations.

www.cnn.com

Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said the US government has been tracking the balloon for several days as it made its way over the northern United States, adding it was “traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground.”

...

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.

The article goes on to say the US military is taking steps to minimize intelligence gathering by the spy balloons. It sounds like they've known about it for a while and that China has sent these spy balloons over the US before.

I went ahead and read the article, "“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 fact that they've chosen to make it public and identify it as Chinese is actually the United States' method of issuing a stern warning to China about it.

Like, now that the public knows about it there's going to be a lot more public demand for it to be shot down - or maybe a civilian will shoot it down. If we're out in our driveways in Montana making videos of it, we can hit it with a light .50. Or somebody can, anyway. Maybe a "civilian" NGO.

Edited to Add: I just read this article in Forbes - Busting That Chinese Spy Balloon Is Harder Than You Think (Updated)

I guess it's pretty hard to shoot down a high altitude balloon, although I have to wonder how high an altitude this one is actually flying at if people on the ground are filming it - people have some pretty good observatories in their back yards though. The bit in the above article that I found the most interesting was that when an actual weather balloon from Canada accidentally drifted off course and headed into Russian airspace there was a tremendous international military response to bring it down. Kind of funny that the complete opposite thing is happening here...

 

[JerseyGirl]

Subscribe to read | Financial Times

News, analysis and comment from the Financial Times, the worldʼs leading global business publication

www.ft.com

China on Friday rejected suggestions that it was a spy balloon, saying it is rather a “civilian airship used for research, mainly meteorological, purposes” that deviated from its planned course because of winds and “limited self-steering capability” “The Chinese side regrets the unintended entry of the airship into US airspace due to force majeure,” it said in an unusual statement. The ministry added that China would continue communicating with the US and “properly handle this unexpected situation”. American officials said China had previously flown spy balloons over the country but that this one spent more time overhead. The US said it had taken steps to ensure the balloon could not obtain sensitive military information. Canada separately said it was monitoring a “potential second incident” without providing any details.

 

[Erutan]

China has claimed the balloon flying over the U.S. as its own. Here's everything you need to know.

China claimed responsibility for the balloon spotted over Montana, apologizing and stating it was used for weather research.

news.yahoo.com

Sooo... it's just a weather balloon ?
Nothing to see here, folks, so move along.

Chinese spy balloon flying just 7,000ft above air traffic in Missouri

The Chinese spy balloon was floating over Missouri on Friday - as pilots reported sightings of it just a few thousand feet from their aircraft.

www.dailymail.co.uk

• US officials feared the balloon could be monitoring sensitive nuclear sites in Montana - but China claims is a civilian airship which blew off course

Beijing had urged calm while it established the 'facts' before a statement on Friday morning said the balloon was a weather research device that had 'deviated far from its planned course'.
Emphasis mine.
Would they be calm if the positions were reversed ?

Eta : From the video at the DM link, it looks like people were observing the "weather balloon" from ground level ?


I wish they'd tow it down and see what kind of 'weather' the CCP is checking out ?
We have the capabilities to do this and not damage the balloon.

M00.

 

[Eli9]

China has claimed the balloon flying over the U.S. as its own. Here's everything you need to know.

China claimed responsibility for the balloon spotted over Montana, apologizing and stating it was used for weather research.

news.yahoo.com

Sooo... it's just a weather balloon ?
Nothing to see here, folks, so move along.

Chinese spy balloon flying just 7,000ft above air traffic in Missouri

The Chinese spy balloon was floating over Missouri on Friday - as pilots reported sightings of it just a few thousand feet from their aircraft.

www.dailymail.co.uk

• US officials feared the balloon could be monitoring sensitive nuclear sites in Montana - but China claims is a civilian airship which blew off course

Beijing had urged calm while it established the 'facts' before a statement on Friday morning said the balloon was a weather research device that had 'deviated far from its planned course'.
Emphasis mine.
Would they be calm if the positions were reversed ?

I wish they'd tow it down and see what kind of 'weather' the CCP is checking out ?
We have the capabilities to do this and not damage the balloon.

M00.

Exactly! Our own officials 'fear' the monitoring of sensitive nuclear sites but do nothing about it? 'Come on man.

 

[branmuffin]

Instead of shooting it down they should try to harness it and bring it down safely to protect and salvage whatever systems are on board. If it continues to follow the arc its on, it should be over Virginia or DC area in a couple of days although the atmospheric disturbances going on right now on the eastern seaboard could change its course or even damage it.

It would be insanity for it to have something like anthrax or any other biological weapon on board. The balloon seems to be caught up in the current jet stream.

Global Jet Stream Map - Netweather

View the jet stream forecast for the entire globe

www.netweather.tv

I'm sure they are getting much more intel from their satellites than this balloon.

 

[dotr]

Canadian pilots were warned of ‘untethered balloon’ amid China surveillance concerns | Globalnews.ca

Officials at Global Affairs Canada summoned China's ambassador to Canada over the suspected surveillance balloon, which defence officials say is being "actively monitored."

globalnews.ca

rbbm
''Ottawa summoned China’s ambassador to Canada on Thursday over reports of a Chinese spy balloon that sources tell Global News spent time in Canadian airspace.''

“Canada’s intelligence agencies are working with American partners and continue to take all necessary measures to safeguard Canada’s sensitive information from foreign intelligence threats,” a spokesperson for the defence department said on Thursday night.''

“It’s outrageous, it’s very concerning that a hostile foreign government had a spy balloon in our airspace that continued to transit into the northwestern United States,” he told reporters in Ottawa.

“We as Canadians should never tolerate espionage by foreign regimes and we should work with our partners in the United States to hold the regime in Beijing accountable.”

Blinken tells China its spy balloon was ‘irresponsible’ after canceling Beijing trip

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will postpone his trip to China next week after a suspected Beijing-operated spy balloon looming over parts of Montana.

www.cnbc.com

''U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will postpone his trip to China next week following a suspected Beijing-operated spy balloon looming over parts of Montana.''

Pentagon tracking suspected Chinese spy balloon over the US

The US is tracking a suspected Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon over the continental United States, defense officials said on Thursday, a discovery that risks adding further strain to tense US-China relations.

www.cnn.com

''However, it was ultimately the “strong recommendation” of senior military leaders, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, not to shoot it down due to the risk to safety of people on the ground.

“Why not shoot it down? We have to do the risk-reward here,” the official said. “So the first question is, does it pose a threat, a physical kinetic threat, to individuals in the United States in the US homeland? Our assessment is it does not. Does it pose a threat to civilian aviation? Our assessment is it does not. Does it pose a significantly enhanced threat on the intelligence side? Our best assessment right now is that it does not. So given that profile, we assess the risk of downing it, even if the probability is low in a sparsely populated area of the debris falling and hurting someone or damaging property, that it wasn’t worth it.”

Montana is home to fields of underground Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile silos, one potential target for Chinese espionage.''

 

[Erutan]

I went ahead and read the article, "“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 fact that they've chosen to make it public and identify it as Chinese is actually the United States' method of issuing a stern warning to China about it.

Like, now that the public knows about it there's going to be a lot more public demand for it to be shot down - or maybe a civilian will shoot it down. If we're out in our driveways in Montana making videos of it, we can hit it with a light .50. Or somebody can, anyway. Maybe a "civilian" NGO.

Edited to Add: I just read this article in Forbes - Busting That Chinese Spy Balloon Is Harder Than You Think (Updated)

I guess it's pretty hard to shoot down a high altitude balloon, although I have to wonder how high an altitude this one is actually flying at if people on the ground are filming it - people have some pretty good observatories in their back yards though. The bit in the above article that I found the most interesting was that when an actual weather balloon from Canada accidentally drifted off course and headed into Russian airspace there was a tremendous international military response to bring it down. Kind of funny that the complete opposite thing is happening here...

Thanks for the link !
A fascinating read.

It looked from some of the video footage that some people could see it with the naked eye ?
Not certain of the source of the pics, though.

 

[evilwise]

Thanks for the link !
A fascinating read.

It looked from some of the video footage that some people could see it with the naked eye ?
Not certain of the source of the pics, though.

Maybe it's on its way down. "Malfunction" maybe. Whoopsie.

 

[Erutan]

Exactly! Our own officials 'fear' the monitoring of sensitive nuclear sites but do nothing about it ? 'Come on man.

bolding mine.
Indeed.
Could it have been shot down over water and in an area with no shipping, and then retrieved ?

 

[Erutan]

Maybe it's on its way down. "Malfunction" maybe. Whoopsie.

My innate nosiness would like to examine this balloon further !
I'd be surprised if it just contained weather information ?
Since it's in American airspace, I'd like to think we are allowed to seize it ?

 

[Erutan]

Canadian pilots were warned of ‘untethered balloon’ amid China surveillance concerns | Globalnews.ca

Officials at Global Affairs Canada summoned China's ambassador to Canada over the suspected surveillance balloon, which defence officials say is being "actively monitored."

globalnews.ca

rbbm
''Ottawa summoned China’s ambassador to Canada on Thursday over reports of a Chinese spy balloon that sources tell Global News spent time in Canadian airspace.''

“Canada’s intelligence agencies are working with American partners and continue to take all necessary measures to safeguard Canada’s sensitive information from foreign intelligence threats,” a spokesperson for the defence department said on Thursday night.''

“It’s outrageous, it’s very concerning that a hostile foreign government had a spy balloon in our airspace that continued to transit into the northwestern United States,” he told reporters in Ottawa.

“We as Canadians should never tolerate espionage by foreign regimes and we should work with our partners in the United States to hold the regime in Beijing accountable.”

Blinken tells China its spy balloon was ‘irresponsible’ after canceling Beijing trip

Secretary of State Antony Blinken will postpone his trip to China next week after a suspected Beijing-operated spy balloon looming over parts of Montana.

www.cnbc.com

''U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will postpone his trip to China next week following a suspected Beijing-operated spy balloon looming over parts of Montana.''

Pentagon tracking suspected Chinese spy balloon over the US

The US is tracking a suspected Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon over the continental United States, defense officials said on Thursday, a discovery that risks adding further strain to tense US-China relations.

www.cnn.com

''However, it was ultimately the “strong recommendation” of senior military leaders, including the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, not to shoot it down due to the risk to safety of people on the ground.

“Why not shoot it down? We have to do the risk-reward here,” the official said. “So the first question is, does it pose a threat, a physical kinetic threat, to individuals in the United States in the US homeland? Our assessment is it does not. Does it pose a threat to civilian aviation? Our assessment is it does not. Does it pose a significantly enhanced threat on the intelligence side? Our best assessment right now is that it does not. So given that profile, we assess the risk of downing it, even if the probability is low in a sparsely populated area of the debris falling and hurting someone or damaging property, that it wasn’t worth it.”

Montana is home to fields of underground Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile silos, one potential target for Chinese espionage.''

Bbm
I hope our leaders are correct in assuming this.
To say, "Our best assessment..." is somehow not that assuring !
Sorry if I'm way off ... and our nation ( --and Canada as well !!) are securely protected from any incursion.
Just my .02.

 

[shotgun09]

'Don't Look Up'

 

[branmuffin]

My innate nosiness would like to examine this balloon further !
I'd be surprised if it just contained weather information ?
Since it's in American airspace, I'd like to think we are allowed to seize it ?

A country's airspace is not limitless. I believe territorial airspace is the same as oceanic territory which is 12 nautical miles. This balloon seems to be up higher than that.

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

LOL

"Those fabricating the balloon lie are clearly attempting to portray China in two ways that are contradictory to each other, both ways of which lack support; they are so keen to describe China as an enemy that they give up all rationality in the process, exposing their ignorance and lack of common sense to the highest extent," read the China Daily article.

Chinese State Media Claims Spy Balloon Report Is a 'Conspiracy Theory'

 

[shotgun09]

LOL

"Those fabricating the balloon lie are clearly attempting to portray China in two ways that are contradictory to each other, both ways of which lack support; they are so keen to describe China as an enemy that they give up all rationality in the process, exposing their ignorance and lack of common sense to the highest extent," read the China Daily article.

Chinese State Media Claims Spy Balloon Report Is a 'Conspiracy Theory'

Oh...OK.. I feel better now...

 

[Eli9]

bolding mine.
Indeed.
Could it have been shot down over water and in an area with no shipping, and then retrieved ?

I don't see why not. Maybe instead of shooting it down we should have informed China that if it made to our airspace we would take action? I don't have a link but I saw an interview with chairman James Comer (House Oversight Committee)who said that they were never briefed about this balloon despite it being tracked for several days. JMO

 

[Eli9]

Watching the the Pentagon briefing live and Brig Gen Pat Ryder just spoke about the balloon. He said they are continuing to monitor it.