F-117 Nighthawk: The Emergence of Stealth Technology
- Thread starter Mike H.
- Start date
Talyn
SAINT
U-2 Spy Planes Snooped On Chinese Surveillance Balloon
U-2 Dragon Ladies had the ability to actually fly above the balloon and gather multiple types of intelligence about it from its perch.
www.thedrive.com
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Talyn
SAINT
China tested hypersonic glide vehicles dropped from a balloon in 2018, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. (Screenshot via Chinese social media)
Paul Crespo, president of the Center for American Defense Studies, said that the balloon which traversed U.S. airspace this week could “absolutely” be a dry run for an attack using a balloon-mounted weapon, but that hypersonic missiles would likely not be a first choice for China’s communist regime.
“While China has tested hypersonic missiles launched from balloons in the past, that isn’t a likely use for these airships,” Crespo told The Epoch Times in an email. “The biggest threat is sending one or more of these high altitude balloons over the U.S. with a small nuclear EMP (Electro Magnetic Pulse) device.”
“Detonated at extremely high altitude, they could knock out power and communications across the US, wreaking widespread havoc for a year or more without firing a shot on the ground.”
Paul Crespo, president of the Center for American Defense Studies, said that the balloon which traversed U.S. airspace this week could “absolutely” be a dry run for an attack using a balloon-mounted weapon, but that hypersonic missiles would likely not be a first choice for China’s communist regime.
“While China has tested hypersonic missiles launched from balloons in the past, that isn’t a likely use for these airships,” Crespo told The Epoch Times in an email. “The biggest threat is sending one or more of these high altitude balloons over the U.S. with a small nuclear EMP (Electro Magnetic Pulse) device.”
“Detonated at extremely high altitude, they could knock out power and communications across the US, wreaking widespread havoc for a year or more without firing a shot on the ground.”
Hammer67
Professional
Agreed. There's a whole laundry list of possibilities. Some of which, while maybe technically possible, are still head-scratchers from a strategic POV. It's something that the more I ponder, the more curious I get about what the actual goal was.
Hammer67
Professional
Worth a read:
The recently-downed Chinese spy balloon may have sent more useful information to the Pentagon than to Beijing, U.S. military officials said Monday.
The weather balloon presented “a potential opportunity for us to collect intel where we had gaps on prior balloons,” and that could help NORAD more quickly detect future spy attempts, NORAD and NORTHCOM head Gen. Glen David VanHerck told reporters at the Pentagon.
On Monday, VanHerck reiterated what other officials said last week: the sensor package on the balloon offered China no better intelligence capabilities than their satellites and other means already possess.
“We did not assess that it presented a significant collection hazard beyond what already exists in actual technical means from the Chinese,” he said...."
www.defenseone.com
The recently-downed Chinese spy balloon may have sent more useful information to the Pentagon than to Beijing, U.S. military officials said Monday.
The weather balloon presented “a potential opportunity for us to collect intel where we had gaps on prior balloons,” and that could help NORAD more quickly detect future spy attempts, NORAD and NORTHCOM head Gen. Glen David VanHerck told reporters at the Pentagon.
On Monday, VanHerck reiterated what other officials said last week: the sensor package on the balloon offered China no better intelligence capabilities than their satellites and other means already possess.
“We did not assess that it presented a significant collection hazard beyond what already exists in actual technical means from the Chinese,” he said...."
China’s Balloon May Have Taught Pentagon More Than Beijing Learned From It, General Says
Still, NORAD’s chief says the U.S. military took “precautions,” including “non-kinetic effects.”
www.defenseone.com
N
nmedge
Guest
I was thinking more on the lines of biological--the next pandemic!
Talyn
SAINT
Why stratospheric balloons are used in era of space-based intelligence
Experts say balloons loitering at high altitudes can offer some advantages over satellites and drones — and could at least augment ISR capabilities.
www.c4isrnet.com
HansGruber
Ronin
Turns out it wasn’t the first.
3 flights during the previous administration, 1 other during the current.
3 flights during the previous administration, 1 other during the current.
Bassbob
Emissary
No one bothered to tell anyone in the previous administration though. Trump and not a single person in his cabinet knew anything about it until the other day. Seems to me there is something very, very wrong with that.
I'm pretty sure if some dude in Montana hadn't seen it none of us would ever have heard about this one.
HansGruber
Ronin
NORAD only found them after going through previous data…they weren’t aware of them at the time, either.
Bassbob
Emissary
Doesn't that seem a little F'ed up to you ?
Talyn
SAINT
The one other was near Hawaii 4 months ago.
The Secretaries of State and Defense, and National Security Council members/advisers in the past administration have said no one told them about any similar balloon flights during their tenure, so either they're all lying, or the military isn't notifying the civilian govt. until real civilians spot these things.
But then again Gen Milley said he would warn the Chicoms ahead of time if the US planned any mil actions.
KillerFord1977
SAINT
My standard response applies :
Nuke em
Oh… and screw Turkey
Nuke em
Oh… and screw Turkey
luggcampion
Operator
The only thing I can think of is the balloon was traveling so slowly that the software didn't set off the threat alarm to wake everyone up.
KillerFord1977
SAINT
Just like the Biden press conferences