News:

And we're back!

Main Menu

The China Thread

Started by Jacob, September 24, 2012, 05:27:47 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

mongers

Breaking News:

High altitude Chinese 'spy' balloon over Montana, White House has considered shooting it down.  :hmm:
"We have it in our power to begin the world over again"

mongers

Quote from: mongers on February 02, 2023, 10:40:29 PMBreaking News:

High altitude Chinese 'spy' balloon over Montana, White House has considered shooting it down.  :hmm:

AP News has this:
https://apnews.com/article/chinese-surveillance-balloon-united-states-montana-47248b0ef2b085620fcd866c105054be#:~:text=A%20senior%20defense%20official%20told%20Pentagon%20reporters%20that,missile%20silo%20fields%20at%20Malmstrom%20Air%20Force%20Base.

QuotePentagon: Chinese spy balloon spotted over Western US
By TARA COPP and LOLITA C. BALDOR
14 minutes ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is tracking a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that has been spotted over U.S. airspace for a couple days, but the Pentagon decided not to shoot it down over concerns of hurting people on the ground, officials said Thursday. The discovery of the balloon puts a further strain on U.S.-China relations at a time of heightened tensions.

A senior defense official told Pentagon reporters that the U.S. has "very high confidence" it is a Chinese high-altitude balloon and 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.

Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, provided a brief statement on the issue, saying the government continues to track the balloon. He said it is "currently traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground."





QuoteADDS PENTAGON RESPONSE THAT IT WOULD NOT CONFIRM - A high altitude balloon floats over Billings, Mont., on Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023. The U.S. is tracking a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that has been spotted over U.S. airspace for a couple days, but the Pentagon decided not to shoot it down due to risks of harm for people on the ground, officials said Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023. The Pentagon would not confirm that the balloon in the photo was the surveillance balloon. (Larry Mayer/The Billings Gazette via AP)
"We have it in our power to begin the world over again"

Tonitrus

Better than shooting it down would be to find a way to snag it for examination.

Josquius

Doesn't China have spy satellites?
██████
██████
██████

The Brain

The best anti-balloon weapon is another balloon.
Women want me. Men want to be with me.

mongers

Quote from: The Brain on February 03, 2023, 03:41:14 AMThe best anti-balloon weapon is another balloon.

Too late, the balloon has already gone up.  :bowler:
"We have it in our power to begin the world over again"

crazy canuck

They are testing an update of the circa WWII Japanese weapons platform.


mongers

"Russia is the weather, China is the climate"


Heard a lord ruskin (?) say he got the quote off someone else.
"We have it in our power to begin the world over again"

mongers

Breaking News:

They've shoot it down:

BBC News video page
"We have it in our power to begin the world over again"

Sheilbh

Quote from: mongers on February 04, 2023, 06:23:33 PM"Russia is the weather, China is the climate"


Heard a lord ruskin (?) say he got the quote off someone else.
I think that variation has been used by the DG of MI5 and head of German intelligence - but I think it's from something else and I can't remember what :hmm:
Let's bomb Russia!

Legbiter

Quote from: mongers on February 04, 2023, 06:29:18 PMBreaking News:

They've shoot it down:

BBC News video page

F-22 popped it. Will it count as a kill?  :hmm:
Posted using 100% recycled electrons.

Admiral Yi

Quote from: Legbiter on February 04, 2023, 06:38:33 PMF-22 popped it. Will it count as a kill?  :hmm:

Didn't they keep separate tallies of balloons and planes killed during WWI? 

It would be cool if they painted a balloon on the side.

Valmy



I do have to wonder is this a joke? Is China making fun of us? Who uses a spy balloon? What is this? 1862?
Quote"This is a Russian warship. I propose you lay down arms and surrender to avoid bloodshed & unnecessary victims. Otherwise, you'll be bombed."

Zmiinyi defenders: "Russian warship, go fuck yourself."

Jacob

Well apparently it's been going on for a while, so it may have worked okay. Basically it's a low cost alternative to a spy-satellite.

Admiral Yi

Yeah, I can see how it's cost effective.  Radio the data back, write off the balloon.

Wonder how the folks who were backing the Chinese side when our P3 was rammed by a Chinese jet back in the Parodox days are framing this one.