US government monitoring suspected Chinese spy balloon over northern states

[quad489]

Something happened.

https://pjmedia.com/columns/paula-bolya ... o-n1667806

And the dispersion of the ccp chemical bio-weapon over America has begun...

[oflguy]

And the dispersion of the ccp chemical bio-weapon over America has begun...

Covid didn't do the job they had hoped it would.

[fools_gold]

hehe... the 111 was capable up to damn near 70K ft. and could do it @ Mach 2.
It was an incredible design that was a far more capable aircraft than ever given credit. It flew fast as hell, and as high as most others only wished they could.

The F-111 Aardvark was always one of the coolest designs. I was at Takhli RTAFB in Thailand in The Fall of 1972 when they arrived there on their second deployment to SEA. (The first didn't go well and they were recalled back to the US.) I was working commo issues at the time, not aircraft. I was told they were used for long range low-level attack missions then. I'll say one thing, I had gotten used to the sound of F-4s taking off at night over my hootch about a mile from the end of the runway. I could sleep through them. The F-111 was LOUD! No one slept through that thing taking off fully loaded for a mission. I was also at Korat RTAFB over in Eastern Thailand for a few weeks in early 1975 near the end of the war and they were flying out of there, but I didn't have any contact with them.

I had to go back and look up the specs. I knew it as a low-level attack aircraft. I didn't remember its high altitude and speed capabilities. Helluva airplane, but I guess it was quite expensive to keep it flying. Too bad, would be fun to watch one in action now.

[joefriday6]

I wonder how big of a nuke it could carry? You know for an EMP event. Naw who would think to do that.

Carrying a big nuke won't be necessary. There are other ways to nuke without a carrier.

[Libloather]

No way would they try this if Trump was in office.

It would have been shot down the moment it came over America.

[joefriday6]

Covid didn't do the job they had hoped it would.

Exactly--

[def_con5]

Could THAD shoot it down? Been a few years since I worked on weapons systems, not sure THAD is even around any more. In 2008 the USN shot down a de-orbiting satellite using a modified SM-3.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Burnt_Frost

The F-111 Aardvark was always one of the coolest designs. I was at Takhli RTAFB in Thailand in The Fall of 1972 when they arrived there on their second deployment to SEA. (The first didn't go well and they were recalled back to the US.) I was working commo issues at the time, not aircraft. I was told they were used for long range low-level attack missions then. I'll say one thing, I had gotten used to the sound of F-4s taking off at night over my hootch about a mile from the end of the runway. I could sleep through them. The F-111 was LOUD! No one slept through that thing taking off fully loaded for a mission. I was also at Korat RTAFB over in Eastern Thailand for a few weeks in early 1975 near the end of the war and they were flying out of there, but I didn't have any contact with them.

I had to go back and look up the specs. I knew it as a low-level attack aircraft. I didn't remember its high altitude and speed capabilities. Helluva airplane, but I guess it was quite expensive to keep it flying. Too bad, would be fun to watch one in action now.

[oflguy]

Carrying a big nuke won't be necessary. There are other ways to nuke without a carrier.

The most curious thing about the balloon is the SIZE of it. If it is at 60,000 feet and can be seen so clearly, it has to be HUGE. You don't need something that big to be just an observation balloon.

[JudgeRoyBean]

The most curious thing about the balloon is the SIZE of it. If it is at 60,000 feet and can be seen so clearly, it has to be HUGE. You don't need something that big to be just an observation balloon.

at this time, I'm almost convinced it's just to see what they can get by with.

[oflguy]

at this time, I'm almost convinced it's just to see what they can get by with.

Lets hope so - for now

The possibilities of what it could do are unimaginable.

To allow it to get over the US is inexcusable. You KNOW NORAD picked this thing up long before that.

[fools_gold]

Could THAD shoot it down? Been a few years since I worked on weapons systems, not sure THAD is even around any more. In 2008 the USN shot down a de-orbiting satellite using a modified SM-3.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Burnt_Frost

It's been a while since I looked at THAD. Back 20 something years ago a friend of mine was the Program Manager for its operational testing phase, but I haven't followed it at all. So I had to look it up on Wikipedia. It looks like it certainly has the range and operational ceiling to get there, but it says that its terminal guidance is infrared, which could be a problem with this particular target. I don't know what it uses for boost and mid-trajectory guidance, so I don't know if the RCS of the target would be a problem in that phase. Not sure where (or if) any operational units are deployed in CONUS.

[oflguy]

It would have been shot down the moment it came over America.

Another balloon spotted over Latin America

Diversion??

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?&q=c ... ajaxhist=0

[Steelydamned]

Remember the "Up" Balloon guy?



Even he got arrested and fined for 'unconscionably stupid' lawn chair flight over Calgary.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/ ... -1.4029414

Which makes me wonder if some garage builder genius were to build something similar to the Chicom balloon and was soaring above military bases; would they just let it go unanswered?

Something tells me; no way.

[fools_gold]

Stop...it's capable of infrared or semi-active radar guidance.
Let's pretend it's only the 9-C that is radar guided....F-22 can shoot it.

My research shows NO currently deployed Aim-9 Sidewinder with semi-active radar guidance. The AIM-9C was developed with one back in the 70's but never deployed. ALL current AIM-9 variants are infrared electro-optic seekers. Please show me otherwise.

[fools_gold]

The most curious thing about the balloon is the SIZE of it. If it is at 60,000 feet and can be seen so clearly, it has to be HUGE. You don't need something that big to be just an observation balloon.

I was going to calculate the volume of helium gas at that altitude to suspend 1 Kilogram of payload, but I'm too lazy to look it up. Want to give it a shot?

I never had to do that calculation before, but I do know that helium weather (and other) balloons are pretty small volume-wise at sea level, but they expand in volume greatly as they gain altitude. Thirty years ago I was involved in a development to visually track such balloons at high altitude. They were designed to be difficult to detect. Very low thermal and radar signatures. Using high altitude balloons to carry clandestine sensor payloads is not a new concept.

Stan could probably calculate it in his head.