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My pet theory is that they are mylar balloons launched by russian submarines. The subs launch the balloons as radar targets to elicit a response from the navy
by opwieurposiu 7y ago
My pet theory is that they are mylar balloons launched by russian submarines. The subs launch the balloons as radar targets to elicit a response from the navy. Then the subs gather intel on our radars, response time, order of battle, etc.
- aalleavitch 7y agoThis isn't the most unreasonable idea, are their movements really consistent with balloons, though?
- js8 7y agoThey flew towards it, it was static, and then it rapidly shifted to the left as they overtook it close from the right.
- aalleavitch 7y agoIt wasn’t static, though, it was traveling at Mach 0.5
- klatuu 7y agoThere is more than one incident. In one incident (2004 Nimitz FLIR1, west coast), the object is static and then initiates non-newtonian acceleration. In the next (GIMBAL, undated, east coast), the same behavior of static hovering with non-newtonian motion. In another, your example (2015 GOFAST, west coast) a slightly different elongated object is cruising at Mach 0.5 at low altitude, close to the water.
- tomatotomato37 7y agoThe upper atmosphere is a mess of violent winds, so it wouldn't be out of the ordinary. Don't forget a weightless balloon is a lot more sensitive to turbulence than a multi-ton computer-stabilized fighter jet, and those winds can already drop a multi-hundred-ton 747 by tens of feet.
- aalleavitch 7y agoBut they’ve been seen traveling against the wind at high speeds
- greedo 7y agoThe Russian sub fleet is in dismal shape currently. And launching something like this would probably result in detection and tracking of the sub. Most of these videos were off the West Coast near San Diego, in a weapons training area, so that would be like poking the wasp nest with a stick.