Chinese Weather Balloons, and Should You Worry About Them?

[cls]

AT 60+K feet (11+ miles), you will not be picking up any battery powered comms. Consumer or military.

Gee, I guess that explains all the QSOs I've made with 400 mile high LEO FM satellites and my handheld radio, set to 5w, or occasionally 1w for the challenge. And the satellites rarely put out more than a quarter watt or so, in to a monopole antenna.

Did you look at the balloon payload? Could be many phased array panels. But we don't know yet.

 

[boatgeek]

I doubt a seagoing tender would be much good. The only one even marginally close enough is the Maple (WLB-207) based out of Atlantic Beach N.C. My thought is they are purpose built, don’t have a particularly large working deck, the crew is not really trained in recovery, and the crane does not have much reach nor does it likely have enough cable. The grapple is a crude tool at best and we only used them to snag dropped mooring chains. Of course my experience is probably out of date and was an older (Iris) class ship the Mariposa.

Thank you for your service. The buoy tending jobs don't get any of the glory, but they're so important to keeping commerce moving.

The WLBs actually look reasonably capable. The working deck isn't great, but it would be doable to put the payload across, sticking out on both sides. It wouldn't reach out that far, but you also wouldn't worry nearly as much about banging the payload up the side (at least, not for the buoy tender--they're built to take the punishment from heavier stuff!). Total cable length could be an issue, though I suspect that a sufficiently grizzled bosun could make it work.

It's definitely not ideal. Definitely not great for getting the payload back in one piece. What they do have is al ot of experience getting stuff hooked on to the crane and heaved over the side. I bet @OverTheTop 's right testicle that the following scenario would result in them getting the payload out on the first try:

Scene: Buoy tender mess. Senior staff are sitting at the tables.
Buoy tender captain enters
Captain: "Those Navy types have been diddling around on that payload all night and still can't get it moving. We're stuck here until it's on the LSD, and we still need to get a dozen buoys done this week to stay on schedule. On top of all that the SEAL team leader called me a puddle pirate just low enough so nobody else could hear. I volunteered that we could get this out tonight. The Admiral is expecting us to pull through. What can you give me?"
Bosun: "Sir, I've been watching those #$%^s screw around all day. Here's what we're going to do..."

Aaaaand scene. Nothing like an inter-service rivalry to get things moving.

 

[Titan II]

AT 60+K feet (11+ miles), you will not be picking up any battery powered comms. Consumer or military.

We do much farther than that all the time with battery powered comms.

 

[jbsommerfeldt]

We use to take the Alaska Railway to Whittier Alaska and go diving for King Crab.
Man that was some good eating

Couldn't touch King Crab when I was there. Commercial fishers sold it to processing ships right there at sea. Never made it to shore. The little bit that did was ridiculously priced. Family and friends in the lower 48 were like "isnt it cheaper up there". NO. Just like gas isnt cheaper. I dont think AK has a refinery. But, I went Halibut fishing every chance I got. Thats some good eating. Raw fresh Pink Salmon was also amazing. Only way I would eat it raw, fresh out of water in AK. Didnt do that too often. Deathly afraid of bears. Like a phobia. I did not have fun salmon fishing. Plus its combat fishing.

 

[H_Rocket]

Bosun: "Sir, I've been watching those #$%^s screw around all day. Here's what we're going to do..."

Aaaaand scene. Nothing like an inter-service rivalry to get things moving.

That has a painfully familiar ring to it. I can envision rigging the deck for it though I think I’d rather be in the boom shack than on deck in this case.

 

[jderimig]

I got the info direct from the Dept. of Defense official website. How is that fake news? Just because "several people in the USG" said so?
They (official DoD) also said there was another during the early days of the present administration....was that also fake news?

s6

3 spy balloons flew over the US but they weren't detected until Biden was in office? (that is the DOD story). Does that pass the smell test?

 

[jbsommerfeldt]

3 balloons transited the US in the last admin but Boltan

3 spy balloons flew over the US but they weren't detected until Biden was in office? (that is the DOD story). Does that pass the smell test?

So now “they” say The American military had a “domain awareness gap” that allowed three other suspected Chinese spy balloons to transit the continental United States undetected under the Trump administration.

If anything it’s a “domain awareness nagging gap” or DANG!

So if they were undetected how do they know it was 3. Or 300. Or did they accidently catch three and then realized “holly crap these three are from China!” Maybe it was 30 party balloons. I like Chinese lanterns.

You know what else they use balloons for? A barium enema x ray. I know cause Ive had them. Doc’s shoved them in my uncles heart and veins to save his life. Balloons, what a versatile invention.

Balloons are everywhere. Nothing new under the sun.

 

[Steven]

 

[Steven]

 

[jderimig]

So now “they” say The American military had a “domain awareness gap” that allowed three other suspected Chinese spy balloons to transit the continental United States undetected under the Trump administration.

If anything it’s a “domain awareness nagging gap” or DANG!

So if they were undetected how do they know it was 3. Or 300. Or did they accidently catch three and then realized “holly crap these three are from China!” Maybe it was 30 party balloons. I like Chinese lanterns.

You know what else they use balloons for? A barium enema x ray. I know cause Ive had them. Doc’s shoved them in my uncles heart and veins to save his life. Balloons, what a versatile invention.

Balloons are everywhere. Nothing new under the sun.

Yes the domain awareness gap was invented revealed AFTER Bolton (National security advisor) and Pompeo (CIA Director) said they knew nothing about any Chinese balloons.

 

[kuririn]

3 spy balloons flew over the US but they weren't detected until Biden was in office? (that is the DOD story). Does that pass the smell test?

So now “they” say The American military had a “domain awareness gap” that allowed three other suspected Chinese spy balloons to transit the continental United States undetected under the Trump administration.

They were detected at the time of the intrusions. Where are you guys getting "undetected" from?
From the transcript of the DoD press briefing:
"PRC government surveillance balloons transited the continental United States briefly at least three times during the prior administration and once that we know of at the beginning of this administration, but never for this duration of time. We spoke directly with Chinese officials through multiple channels, but rather than address their intrusion into our airspace, the PRC put out an explanation that lacked any credibility. "

 

[jderimig]

They were detected at the time of the intrusions. Where are you guys getting "undetected" from?
From the transcript of the DoD press briefing:
"PRC government surveillance balloons transited the continental United States briefly at least three times during the prior administration and once that we know of at the beginning of this administration, but never for this duration of time. We spoke directly with Chinese officials through multiple channels, but rather than address their intrusion into our airspace, the PRC put out an explanation that lacked any credibility. "

Any the NSA and CIA director were not informed? Nor the Senate and House intelligience committees were not informed? Get real dude.

 

[jbsommerfeldt]

View attachment 561835

Oh man somebody had to drag legos into this. Is nothing sacred anymore. Last childhood fond memory destroyed. Im depressed now.

 

[Steven]

 

[boatgeek]

Yes the domain awareness gap was invented revealed AFTER Bolton (National security advisor) and Pompeo (CIA Director) said they knew nothing about any Chinese balloons.

Given that Pompeo directly said in his memoir that they cut Bolton out of White House meetings because Bolton would leak or lie about items under discussion, I'm not sure that I'd trust either one of them. Even more so when there's a political issue under discussion that might make them look bad and they're not under oath.

[edit] Not to mention that Bolton was NSA from 4/2018-9/2019 and Pompeo was NSA from 1/2017-4/2018 and Sec of State from 4/2018-1/2021. It's 100% possible that the balloon incidents were before or after Bolton's tenure as NSA. Pompeo should have been told as NSA or SoS, but there was so much backbiting and infighting in the last administration (see also above) that it's possible he was kept out of the loop by Defense.

 

[Steven]

 

[Steven]

 

[cwbullet]

I think it is time we cut the Chinese off.

 

[hobie1dog]

A debris field 15 football fields wide by 15 football fields long, if they would have just taken the balloon and put a big hole in it instead of having the missile Blow The Smithereens out of all of the hardware below it, then it might have come down within one football field

 

[jbsommerfeldt]

Any the NSA and CIA director were not informed? Nor the Senate and House intelligience committees were not informed? Get real dude.

Exactly.
In AK I know for a fact:
the F-15 that blew up on take off at Galena was an animal intake
the Korean airliner that reported an engine shut down was caused by volcanic ash across the bay from Anchorage Intl
the Japanese airliner that reported UFOs and refused to land saw Northern Lights and American speaking translators had a hard time explaining as he made an ER landing.

I do not believe:
Media
Govt
this forum
my neighbor


And the voices in my head.

 

[hobie1dog]

I do not believe:
Media
Govt
this forum

This forum?? blasphemy!

 

[jbsommerfeldt]

View attachment 561837

OK Im happy again

 

[stealth6]

3 spy balloons flew over the US but they weren't detected until Biden was in office? (that is the DOD story). Does that pass the smell test?

Does the statement "and was debunked by several people in the USG" given as proof pass your smell test?

Some things are a lot smellier than others.

s6

 

[boatgeek]

I do not believe:

And the voices in my head.

I only believe the voices in my head when they tell me to buy more rocket motors.

 

[kuririn]

So you guys are criticizing this administration for following the advice of senior military commanders and splashing the balloon after it had transited land? So should Biden have ignored the commanders' advice?
L-A-M-E.
The balloon left a seven mile debris field in the ocean. Think what that might have done if it occurred over land. Plus no chance of starting a wildfire by splashing it in the ocean. And the military bases knew exactly where the balloon was and took steps to mitigate any intelligence gathering. Also at that altitude there was no risk to civilian air traffic.
As far as Bolten, Pompeo and Trump, how high did the info go up the chain of command? If it was brief incursions by smaller balloons that do not pose a threat would that have made their daily briefings? The fact is, I don't know. And neither do you.

 

[hobie1dog]

So you guys are criticizing this administration for following the advice of senior military commanders and splashing the balloon after it had transited land?

these guys would criticize the Pope

 

[jderimig]

Norad General VanHerck

"We did not detect those threats. And that's a domain awareness gap that we have to figure out," VanHerck said.

So NORAD was unable to detect Chinese balloons during the last administration but now they can.

VanHerck said that U.S. intelligence made NORAD aware of the threat posed by the surveillance balloons after the fact through "additional means of collection and made us aware of those balloons that were previously approaching North America or transit in North America."

So the intelligence agency, headed by Pompeo, told NORAD that balloons entered US airspace when their multi-billion dollar systems and data analysts could not. But the intelligence services told no one in the adminstration or congress about this. And we all know that the US intelligence service has a spotless record, look how well they predicted the Afgan pullout and Russian invasion results.

If NORAD cannot detect a 2 ton object entering our airspace at 50 miles per hour, is our homeland safe?

Of course they can! This story is total BS. Use CRT, not LRT.

 

[kuririn]

So the intelligence agency, headed by Pompeo, told NORAD that balloons entered US airspace when their multi-billion dollar systems could not.
But the intelligence services told no one in the adminstration or congress about this.

So Pompeo was lying when he said he knew nothing about Chinese balloons entering US airspace on his watch?

 

[jbsommerfeldt]

This forum?? blasphemy!

hehehehe

 

[jbsommerfeldt]

Does the statement "and was debunked by several people in the USG" given as proof pass your smell test?

Some things are a lot smellier than others.

s6

Some people cant use the "smell test". Their head is so far up their ass they cant smell their own farts!