US Shoots Down Chinese Spy Balloon Off East Coast

Aye OP, I guess that's your boys version of combatting inflation, huh? 🤑

originally posted by: Arnie123
Aye OP, I guess that's your boys version of combatting inflation, huh? 🤑

Joe told them to fire at it or they weren't getting the money

a reply to: Caver78

I guess it's because it was so visible to the naked eye. It couldn't be hidden from the public. Too many people saw it to pretend it wasn't there.

a reply to: andy06shake

As a lot of people here are stating. Why take so long to shoot it down, and why didn't they use bullets or laser to shoot it down. They could have recovered it almost intact. Maybe they were afraid that the balloon might have contained some kind of virus? Maybe an nuclear or dirty bomb?

a reply to: new_here

The Govt couldn't just say swamp gas?
(jk)

On the bright side the part of the internet squealing China's balloons are EMP devices (run around with hair on fire)
an we're going to zapped losing electric & cell phones are gonna have to pivot fast!
Should be interesting.

originally posted by: vNex92
Waste of Billions of Tax Payers to shoot down a silly balloon.

I don't know about you, but my tax dollars are also used to defend us. The silly balloon could be carrying a silly bomb or another stupid thing that may not be in our civilian best interest.

a reply to: ATSAlex

Or Batman

originally posted by: Foundryman
A little late dontcha think?

Accomplished it's mission.

Biden wanted it shot after Trump said, SHOOT IT DOWN!, on Wednesday morning.

Except for perv stuff, Joe doesn't think for himself.

a reply to: stelth2

Certainly, pertinent questions, which i would not mind a definitive answer to myself.

I don't really have a clue why it took so long to act.

The reason they offer as to wait to shoot it down is apparently down to debris field over land if you can believe it.

As to it being a dirty/nuclear bomb or viral attack, if so the delivery method would seem rather imprecise and ancient.

a reply to: stelth2

They didn’t use a laser because none are operational. They don’t use bullets because the F-22 was 5-8,000 feet below it, which would have been an insane shot with a gun, and it could have taken days for it to come down.

What people don’t understand is that while this balloon was getting very limited intelligence on us, we were getting detailed intelligence on it. They waited until it was about to leave our airspace to get everything operational they could out of it, then shot it down to take it apart and see what was inside it and get more intelligence from it.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
What people don’t understand is that while this balloon was getting very limited intelligence on us, we were getting detailed intelligence on it. They waited until it was about to leave our airspace to get everything operational they could out of it, then shot it down to take it apart and see what was inside it and get more intelligence from it.

This. All speculation aside, and whatever your viewpoint is currently of US military, this is why you let it stay in the air and then Shoot it down. Counter surveillance of their ballon.

China Could 'Take Further Actions' in Response to U.S. Downing Balloon

www.newsweek.com...

China threatens 'further actions' over US downing of suspected spy balloon

news.sky.com...

You dishonor China and it's citizens with your aggressive actions against their innocent science project only meant to help with world understanding of weather.

a reply to: MichiganSwampBuck

Yup. Because "weather balloons" are worth #ting your pants over the downing of. Oh, and it's absolutely normal to posture & threaten over such mundane Vanilla objects. So common, they're Meh, ya know?

Lmfao, I can't believe they seriously expect the planet to believe them. The world just reaffirmed the suspicion China is one sniveling, untrustworthy pathological liar.

a reply to: andy06shake

Thanks Andy, good one!

Gives a detailed account of how and why they chose to use a sidewinder missile with a dud warhead to down the balloon.

a reply to: andy06shake

I suppose now it's OK for any other nation to shoot down another country's unmanned craft.

Wonder what a sidewinder cost .... $381,069.74

originally posted by: ArMaP
a reply to: andy06shake

I suppose now it's OK for any other nation to shoot down another country's unmanned craft.

Well, I'd say technically yes as an already expected route to take if permission was not granted prior to entry.

It's a little like aerial breaking & entering, in that you benefit from established explicit permission versus just suddenly being there at random. That never looks good, even for civilian craft.

a reply to: ArMaP

If it violates their airspace, it’s always been their right. Manned or unmanned.