To be concerned about the balloon discovered hovering over Montana

[MeetPi]

The balloon is said to be a Chinese spy balloon up to three football fields long. In the last few minutes, another balloon has possibly been spotted over Canada - where the first balloon apparently came through to the US.

Purportedly President Biden wanted to shoot the balloon down, but the Pentagon convinced him otherwise, as this could prove a risk to people on the ground.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/02/pentagon-chinese-spy-balloon

People worry about the Chinese but the Americans are a much bigger threat to the world.

Look at the world tables of who's started and had the most wars and China are right down the list. America are not top but up there with the UK. Westerner's concerns are so misplaced it's a bit of a joke.

My very limited understanding of interventionism is that the Chinese basically want to expand in their area. They want Bhutan, the South China Sea, Taiwan, keep what they have, expand in the area. They don't want military control over a bunch of Westerners.

Bhutan, the South China Sea, Taiwan are not "their area." Bhutan and Taiwan are countries. Would you be OK with China invading your country? The South China Sea belongs to many countries, not just China, and is an important area for shipping. It needs to be open and free so that vital goods can be traded.

But thanks for telling us all so explicitly that you basically don't care about China's aggression because it's directed towards non-Westerners. I mean, most people would be embarrassed to say such a thing out loud, but....

Well it does remain to be seen but if China wanted Taiwan, they'd have done what Russia has done with the Ukraine already.

As I said above, China don't have form for war and definitely not as much as we do. China will have watched the West's response and will be fearing the ramifications economically.

*response to Russia

It's interesting that all 3 baloons are hoovering over Left wing 'soft' governments (USA, Canada and Venezuela)

The probably know they'll 'Be Kind' and won't pop them

Weird assessment. Venezuela "soft"?

Let's put it this way, none of them will pop a Chinese baloon

Let's put it this way, none of them will pop a Chinese baloon

Apparently, balloons are extremely difficult to pop anyway.

Is it still there? I heard it was shot down/ self destructed?

I heard it was shot down/ self destructed?

Where did you hear that?

It's still floating about.

Apparently Tom Cruise went up there in his fighter jet and shot it down.

No concern necessary. Every country is spying on everyone else. And they all know it. Totally normal.

The idea that they don't want to shoot it down because it may have come down over the highly populated areas of Montana and Alaska is clearly nonsense to me.

Either they a) can't shoot it down or b) want it intact.

I read a report saying it was observed at 60,000ft. If that's the case then I reckon they could shoot it down and probably up to about 80,000ft. Above 100,000ft I reckon they would have issues.

Can't say I have lost any sleep over it tbh.

I find it rather surreal that in this hi-tech age they're using a balloon....

And now I have an urge to listen to 99 Red balloons....

I mean, obviously it's outside of the sphere of our control, and may be the subject of over-inflated interest as we rubber neck from down here.....

A lot of hot air? Something sinister?

Who knows. But it's curiosity that keeps us alive (unless you identify as a cat, obviously.....)

I suppose no-one would notice if it flew over the UK because it's always so grey here.

Who knows. But it's curiosity that keeps us alive (unless you identify as a cat, obviously.....)

Even then, knowing brings them back.

I read a report saying it was observed at 60,000ft. If that's the case then I reckon they could shoot it down

I looked into and they are really difficult to shoot down because anything that fire at them goes right through without exploding. The Canadians tried and failed with a weather balloon that had gone rogue. It ended up blowing into Russian airspace.

Into it

@Oakbeam

High five - very true ☺️

@Oakbeam

I looked into and they are really difficult to shoot down because anything that fire at them goes right through without exploding

That would depend on how any missile is fused, the warhead and where it hits…the envelope might be problematic but from images in the public domain this thing appears has a fairly substantial payload package that a missile certainly wouldn’t just fly through.

One issue might be that the very act of trying to shoot this thing down might give the Chinese lots of useful intelligence, so the best course of action for the US might be shutdown anything sensitive (comms, military/industry testing etc) in the balloon’s vicinity and let the thing (eventually) go on it’s way

the envelope might be problematic but from images in the public domain this thing appears has a fairly substantial payload package that a missile certainly wouldn’t just fly through.

Agreed. The most recent photo shown earlier in the thread a large set of solar panels under the balloon. Those would be fine radar reflectors. The AIM-120 uses a radar proximity fuze and has a 23kg blast fragmentation warhead. The balloon would be a sitting duck for an attack.

I do think that the US may just ignore it, at least until it drifts out over the Atlantic.

I don't see what a 'spy balloon' could see that can't be seen from satellite, to be honest. Every country spies on everyone else anyway. I know Montana has some air force bases which house nuclear weapons,but you can have a good nosey at those on google earth. I'd wager that's not top-notch technology and what what governments can see / already know is far more sophisticated than that.