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Post by jdd2 on Feb 12, 2023 22:32:37 GMT -5
I don't want to give them ideas, but for dprk, why spend lots of money on ICBMs, when a balloon could deliver a weapon?
While it would be very hard to target anything, and balloons are much lower than high altitude EMPs, better not to ignore the possibility.
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Post by Marshall on Feb 12, 2023 23:51:38 GMT -5
I would assume any country capable of doing so has been floating stuff over other countries capable of doing so for quite some time and that there was some sort of mutual agreement of silence going on. After all, what can a balloon get that a satellite can't? But then again, why a balloon instead of a satellite? I can't help but wonder if China is doing this intentionally. They're giving the rest of the world a realistic look at what they are capable of doing in the surveillance world. A balloon is at the mercy of the upper air jet stream. But, that being said, it floats over an area for quite some time. And it can intercept radio transmissions. Especially helpful when it floats over a sensitive military defense installation. It can linger and catch a lot. Of course we've been doing the same to the Chinese (intercepting communications) for decades. |
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Post by Marshall on Feb 13, 2023 0:01:56 GMT -5
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Post by Village Idiot on Feb 13, 2023 22:30:18 GMT -5
I would assume any country capable of doing so has been floating stuff over other countries capable of doing so for quite some time and that there was some sort of mutual agreement of silence going on. After all, what can a balloon get that a satellite can't? But then again, why a balloon instead of a satellite? I can't help but wonder if China is doing this intentionally. They're giving the rest of the world a realistic look at what they are capable of doing in the surveillance world. A balloon is at the mercy of the upper air jet stream. But, that being said, it floats over an area for quite some time. And it can intercept radio transmissions. Especially helpful when it floats over a sensitive military defense installation. It can linger and catch a lot. Of course we've been doing the same to the Chinese (intercepting communications) for decades. What I was wondering, worded badly, was if China intentionally floated something over the US that would be easy to shoot down because they wanted us to do so. The ensuing investigation in what was in the balloon would make us realize just how powerful they are in terms of technology without negotiation and without an outright conflict. A very odd way of China wearing what they've got on their sleeve. |
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Post by Marshall on Feb 13, 2023 23:31:12 GMT -5
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Post by John B on Feb 22, 2023 21:43:59 GMT -5
One thing that strikes my nerd bone, so to speak, is that we used U2 spy planes to surveil the balloon. And here it is, the selfie taken by one of the U2 pilots with the balloon.  |
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Post by Cosmic Wonder on Feb 22, 2023 22:12:55 GMT -5
Chinese balloon sounds like the name of a finger style piece by Michael Hedges.
Mike
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Post by Village Idiot on Feb 22, 2023 22:43:13 GMT -5
A Chinese balloon seems quite tame considering that they invented gunpowder and fireworks.
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