US government monitoring suspected Chinese spy balloon over northern states

[Mouth Of Chaos]

China says it's just a weather balloon?

ChiComs lie.

[Steelydamned]

China says it's just a weather balloon?

Yeah, ok

I'm sure they're just monitoring the CO2 levels.....over the continental United States.

If that thing would have been flying over the South; there would have been 1000 Rednecks outside trying to take it down with their deer rifles

[blue]

Yeah, ok

I'm sure they're just monitoring the CO2 levels.....over the continental United States.

If that thing would have been flying over the South; there would have been 1000 Rednecks outside trying to take it down with their deer rifles

I'm surprised lefties all over aren't already flying the Chinese flag as a joint effort to save the balloon as it is a world wide effort to save our world from Global Warming.

Something like that. It WILL happen.

[Steelydamned]

[blue]

I wonder if the balloon has a TikTok advertisement on it?

[Zathras23]

So what's old is new again. In WW2 the Japanese did the same thing, using the jet stream, sending balloons with incendiary bombs on a timer to attempt to set fires in the northern parts of the US.

[JudgeRoyBean]

The U.S. government is monitoring a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that has been moving over northern states over the past several days.

I guaranteed you, out there somewhere is a guy with a .416 Barrett eyeballing that thing and asking if it could be done.
Unfortunately, it's just too high to reach out and touch.
If it falls below 15K ft in the right spot, SOMEONE in Appalachia will take care of it when it goes over.

[CrazyD]

I'm surprised lefties all over aren't already flying the Chinese flag as a joint effort to save the balloon as it is a world wide effort to save our world from Global Warming.

Something like that. It WILL happen.

Days not over yet

[blue]

Balloon is maneuverable and has changed its course?

WTF?

60,000 feet. Military has accessed there is no physical/military threat to those on the ground.

Too much debris should they shoot it down.

(Just heard that on FOX)

Why are we following this one and ignored some of the others? What makes this different is the duration/length over time it has been over US territory.

TRANSLATION: WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[fools_gold]

I suspect that right now we're learning more about the device than they are learning about us. I would guess that after our curiosity is sated and its debris won't endanger any civilians it will go poof.

My contacts in the field are over 12 years old, but let me see if I can get some better speculation.

[Muddling Through]

[blue]

Any potential debris field would be significant.

[Steelydamned]

[fools_gold]

Again, I'm guessing, because I am no longer in that game. But if I were, we'd have some groups assessing what, if any defensive capabilities the device might have, and be working on a number of different approaches to safely hack or capture it. As long as it doesn't appear to be a threat, I'd be trying to get my hands on it. (This is complex because I would have to assume the device has some sort of self-destruct device, so a physical capture would have to be controlled remotely. That capability exists, but it takes a while to bring on-line.)

[oflguy]

The U.S. government is monitoring a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that has been moving over northern states over the past several days.

Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a briefing on Thursday afternoon that the U.S. government has detected a high-altitude surveillance balloon over the continental U.S.

"The United States government has detected and is tracking a high-altitude surveillance balloon that is over the continental United States right now. The U.S. government to include Norad, continues to track and monitor it closely. The balloon 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. Instances of this kind of balloon activity have been observed previously over the past several years. Once the balloon was detected, the U.S. government acted immediately to protect against the collection of sensitive information," Ryder said.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-gov ... ern-states

Great.

Probably a TikTok balloon.