A Chinese Spy Balloon?

[Marcel]

I'm still a bit puzzled. Why trying to gather info in a way that is so blatantly obvious? Just doesn't make sense at all.
Would be hilarious of the Americans do only find meteorologic equipment in the balloon. I'm wondering if we will ever know the truth.

 

[GrauGeist]

I'm still a bit puzzled. Why trying to gather info in a way that is so blatantly obvious? Just doesn't make sense at all.
Would be hilarious of the Americans do only find meteorologic equipment in the balloon. I'm wondering if we will ever know the truth.

I suspect it's more of a matter of "posturing".

In other words, it's not so much a spy or weather balloon (weather balloons are designed to go with the weather, not change course) as it is a psychological presence.

 

[GTX]

I suspect it's more of a matter of "posturing".

In other words, it's not so much a spy or weather balloon (weather balloons are designed to go with the weather, not change course) as it is a psychological presence.

And based upon some of the 'hyperventilating" seen over the last few days it worked a charm.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I suspect it's more of a matter of "posturing".

In other words, it's not so much a spy or weather balloon (weather balloons are designed to go with the weather, not change course) as it is a psychological presence.

That is what I think as well.

 

[MIflyer]

The F-22's that shot down the balloon used the call sign "Frank" to honor this guy. And I'm sure y'all all know who he is, except maybe Viking Berserker. They used an AIM-9X.
From a Youtube video by Ward Carrol.

 

[MIflyer]

I would be curious to see what equipment was on board that allow the balloon to be able to change it's course contrary to prevailing winds.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2xz21HvLs8

According to the video it had a prop driven propulsion system. I would assume it was electrically powered given the large solar array.

 

[GrauGeist]

And based upon some of the 'hyperventilating" seen over the last few days it worked a charm.

Which is interesting, because during the last president's term, China launched three "weather balloons" that travelled across the U.S. - which, by the way, they started appearing not long after the President threatened to reign in China's U.S. import dominance.

 

[special ed]

Some things to consider:
What could it see that satellites could not.
The ground views would have been snow covered due to the unusual cold front.
Any ELINT it sent to China would have been interfered with (jammed) by the RC-135s circling it since it entered Alaska airspace.
By waiting to the near end of it's mission, we can tell from the remains and the final ELINT, just what it tried to do and what it CAN do.
The RC-135s (a Boeing product) have most likely recorded every transmission it made.

 

[SaparotRob]

The bacon is for the ad placement.

 

[special ed]

I mentioned Boeing product because of the two Boeing fans of the forum.

 

[Snautzer01]

I mentioned Boeing product because of the two Boeing fans of the forum.

They wear this as uniform and are thus easily to recognize.

 

[Glider]

I have just read that the Chinese have sacked the head of the weather service. The ultimate fall guy.

China fires head of weather service over spy balloon fiasco

 

[SaparotRob]

They wear this as uniform and are thus easily to recognize.

View attachment 705743

They out of the shirts with the Pan Am livery.

 

[Greg Boeser]

What's with the waterfall superimposed over the groinal region?

 

[syscom3]

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

View attachment 705752

Stop using me as a meme!

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Any conjectures on just what intelligence they were trying to collect? It's so much easier to collect signals from an innocuous semi truck hauling a trailer full of gear. Optical imagery? Buy it from commercial sources. Missile silo coordinates? Bribe the Russians for it. They'll be happy to sell that info.

Perhaps either SIGINT of NORAD/other radar systems patterning, or sniffing the atmosphere for chemicals? Neither can really be done by satellite. Agree that a semi- trawling Interstates would be more subtle, but not sure it would activate aerial radar systems to a level perceptible on ground.

Or another possibility is simply testing American resolve to defend American airspace. Hard to say. Let's pull up the wreckage and see what sensors it was carrying.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Next, trying to shoot a missile at the balloon, which has next to no RCS, would be complicated, most likely the missile(s) would pass through and continue on until falling to earth - again, with no idea of where the missile(s) would end up.

I assumed the reason they sent a F-22 was for the opportunity to use some helmet guided weapon. There's no heat signature and little radar signature, so your standard AAMs might not work.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

They wear this as uniform and are thus easily to recognize.

View attachment 705743

No I don't.

 

[GrauGeist]

I assumed the reason they sent a F-22 was for the opportunity to use some helmet guided weapon. There's no heat signature and little radar signature, so your standard AAMs might not work.

Most likely.

The F-15 certainly has the ceiling to get up there and intercept but lacks the electronic "fun stuff" the F-22 has.