4 ms·

China's balloon over the U.S. seen as bold but clumsy espionage tactic

5 points by ironyman 4y ago

hunglee2 4y ago
The constant need to assume ill intent from China increasingly leads to outlandish conclusions which are simply unlikely to be true. In the space of 24 hours, the US media has moved from hyperventilating over what has been described as an audacious transgression of national sovereignty, to now a recasting of the story as ridiculously childish attempt to spy on the country. Schrodinger's China again, alternatively the most awesome threat to the rule based order, or a clownish country on the brink of guaranteed collapse. There is no wonder why we have amazing consistent record of 'getting China wrong' going back decades. This is a weather ballon, that had a malfunction of its flight termination software.
- neom 4y ago
  I think it's very strange that the US top brass has come out and said it's unequivocally not a weather ballon, I'm inclined to believe China as it's what makes most sense. On the other hand, the US doesn't have much to gain from escalating tensions with China, and I don't think they would bother to tow a line just to "save face" or anything like that so I'm generally left confused. They should really figure out how to bring it down and then tell us what's in it rather than just saying "for reasons we know 100% it's a spy balloon not a weather balloon". Super weird situation imo.
  - giardini 4y ago
    It is likely phoning home and they've intercepted the transmissions and/or emissions (active radar/sonar/laser scans from the device). IMO easier to shroud it (drop a net/mylar sheet on it) and bring it down slowly in some podunk part of the US.
    - neom 4y ago
      Scanning/Detection would explain why it needs proximity to land, it doesn't make a lot of sense that it's taking picture. You'd think though... if China wanted to scan/detect in the US at low altitude, they'd throw something in the back of an Air China flight, or just... drive near the site with a vehicle. A lot of things about it being a surveillance system don't really add up imo. re: shooting it "We know that large balloons are hard to shoot down from previous experience. In 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon drifted towards Russian airspace. Fighter jets from Canada, Norway and Sweden attempted to bring it down without success. Two Canadian air force CF-18 fighters hit the balloon with more than 1,000 rounds of 20mm cannon fire off the coast of Newfoundland, riddling it with holes. This was not enough to let a significant amount of gas out, and the balloon continued drifting."
skee8383 4y ago
The war monger media pundits are already calling for bombs to be dropped on it. it's already pretty embarrassing that we scrambled F35s to circle around it in a show of force.
- bfeynman 4y ago
  consider your ignorance is bliss and how lucky you are to not have a single clue or care about much national defense goes on here and around the world.
- stjohnswarts 4y ago
  They should have shot it down with a missile as soon as it entered US airspace and was over an unpopulated area.
giardini 4y ago
It looks like a satellite carried by a balloon. They should toss a net over the thing to bring it down faster. Or simply shoot holes in the balloon - it will sink as gas escapes. Once it gets down to altitude, use a helicopter to snag the net/balloon and drag it to an open field and let it land. Send in a HAZMAT team (like in the movie "Andromeda Strain"). I recommend dragging it over to some Indiana farmland - nothing there we would need to worry about.
News-Dog 4y ago
'Spy Balloons' are a technology that is over eighty year old. (These are easily grappled.) The CCP's 'Foreign Ministry' political timing and precedent need to be considered. The Chinese fear "The Sword of Damocles."

5 points by ironyman 4y ago

The constant need to assume ill intent from China increasingly leads to outlandish conclusions which are simply unlikely to be true. In the space of 24 hours, the US media has moved from hyperventilating over what has been described as an audacious transgression of national sovereignty, to now a recasting of the story as ridiculously childish attempt to spy on the country. Schrodinger's China again, alternatively the most awesome threat to the rule based order, or a clownish country on the brink of guaranteed collapse. There is no wonder why we have amazing consistent record of 'getting China wrong' going back decades. This is a weather ballon, that had a malfunction of its flight termination software.

neom 4y ago
I think it's very strange that the US top brass has come out and said it's unequivocally not a weather ballon, I'm inclined to believe China as it's what makes most sense. On the other hand, the US doesn't have much to gain from escalating tensions with China, and I don't think they would bother to tow a line just to "save face" or anything like that so I'm generally left confused. They should really figure out how to bring it down and then tell us what's in it rather than just saying "for reasons we know 100% it's a spy balloon not a weather balloon". Super weird situation imo.
- giardini 4y ago
  It is likely phoning home and they've intercepted the transmissions and/or emissions (active radar/sonar/laser scans from the device). IMO easier to shroud it (drop a net/mylar sheet on it) and bring it down slowly in some podunk part of the US.
  - neom 4y ago
    Scanning/Detection would explain why it needs proximity to land, it doesn't make a lot of sense that it's taking picture. You'd think though... if China wanted to scan/detect in the US at low altitude, they'd throw something in the back of an Air China flight, or just... drive near the site with a vehicle. A lot of things about it being a surveillance system don't really add up imo. re: shooting it "We know that large balloons are hard to shoot down from previous experience. In 1998 a rogue Canadian weather balloon drifted towards Russian airspace. Fighter jets from Canada, Norway and Sweden attempted to bring it down without success. Two Canadian air force CF-18 fighters hit the balloon with more than 1,000 rounds of 20mm cannon fire off the coast of Newfoundland, riddling it with holes. This was not enough to let a significant amount of gas out, and the balloon continued drifting."

skee8383 4y ago

The war monger media pundits are already calling for bombs to be dropped on it. it's already pretty embarrassing that we scrambled F35s to circle around it in a show of force.

bfeynman 4y ago
consider your ignorance is bliss and how lucky you are to not have a single clue or care about much national defense goes on here and around the world.
stjohnswarts 4y ago
They should have shot it down with a missile as soon as it entered US airspace and was over an unpopulated area.

giardini 4y ago

It looks like a satellite carried by a balloon. They should toss a net over the thing to bring it down faster. Or simply shoot holes in the balloon - it will sink as gas escapes. Once it gets down to altitude, use a helicopter to snag the net/balloon and drag it to an open field and let it land. Send in a HAZMAT team (like in the movie "Andromeda Strain"). I recommend dragging it over to some Indiana farmland - nothing there we would need to worry about.

News-Dog 4y ago

'Spy Balloons' are a technology that is over eighty year old. (These are easily grappled.) The CCP's 'Foreign Ministry' political timing and precedent need to be considered. The Chinese fear "The Sword of Damocles."