Chinese surveillance balloon over Montana?

[Ought Six]

It’s the poor man’s way of getting into the Durfee Hills, time the wind just right, and you’ll be there before you know it

 

[madtom]

I have a hard time believing any first-world military is spying with balloons in 2023. This was probably a Chinese fourth grader’s science project.

 

[Elktrack]

Prolly sprinkling CWD and China virus all over the high line.

 

[Scott85]

Prolly sprinkling CWD and China virus all over the high line.

No that’s what 5G is for.

 

[Elktrack]

They’re probably just monitoring all their farmland. Nothing to worry about here folks. It’s the size of three busses. Probably just a couple cameras in it. No worries. No way it would have an EMP device or anything nefarious.

All I can do is make smart arse comments about it to distract me from my disgust at the fact that it’s not in a smoking pile of rubble right now.
WTF is happening? ANY other president would have shot it down way before we even heard about it. We’re just going to monitor it????

 

[mxracer317]

It’s like we’re trying hard to fail on purpose as a country at this point.

 

[Bambistew]

There's more to this story. Why would China need a balloon? They have spy satellites.

Misinformation is still information.

This seems like it would be more north Korea technology. They're trying to figure out where to aim.

 

[Johnny Bravo]

It's Randy's new way of beating checker board ....he ran out of money for helicopters

 

[noharleyyet]

Never would have happened if we would have got Space Force.

…let’s divert some of that build back better slush and commission a painting of it…the Chinese will pay for it.

 

[MTGomer]

Word has it that Xi knows where both mule deer in the Custer are wintering.

 

[hank4elk]

Shoot the damn thing down, and no furner should own property in the US.

 

[Mallardsx2]

I have my doubts that its a Chinese balloon at all. I believe it is something the US govt has lost track of and someone spotted it and now they are blaming the Chinese to get the American public worked up in preparation of their ridiculous war they all want so freaking bad.

"China war inevitable"
"China will invade Tiawan before 2025"

All over the news lately.

Lubing up the American people to hate China in advance of what is to POTENTIALLY come.

When China takes credit for it being their balloon (at this point they HAVE NOT), or we shoot it down and prove that it is theirs, only then will I believe it's a Chinese balloon.

The American people are being duped and lied to by their own govt as per usual.

 

[Raisin Bran]

Don’t shoot it!! It’s fwp getting their mule deer and elk post season counts!!

……and probably still more accurate than the current FWP system.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

There's more to this story. Why would China need a balloon? They have spy satellites.

Misinformation is still information.

This seems like it would be more north Korea technology. They're trying to figure out where to aim.

We use balloons too. Long loiter times make them much better for monitoring patterns over a period of time, and they are much more expendable than a drone.

The intent is the interesting question. China has a long history of probing to provoke a response or draw attention other places. If they can create fear over defending the homeland, it could pull resources from our expansion in the Indo-Pacific. We just happen to be putting US forces into 4 more bases in the Philippines right now...

 

[Brian in Montana]

I think it's more likely the Chinese drifted it across our airspace primarily just to gauge our response to a thing like that, or lack thereof.

 

[gouch]

My money would be on it being something the US military is testing. The Chinese could probably get more info from Google Earth than from a balloon floating randomly overhead.

 

[mxracer317]

I have my doubts that its a Chinese balloon at all. I believe it is something the US govt has lost track of and someone spotted it and now they are blaming the Chinese to get the American public worked up in preparation of their ridiculous war they all want so freaking bad.

"China war inevitable"
"China will invade Tiawan before 2025"

All over the news lately.

Lubing up the American people to hate China in advance of what is to POTENTIALLY come.

When China takes credit for it being their balloon (at this point they HAVE NOT), or we shoot it down and prove that it is theirs, only then will I believe it's a Chinese balloon.

The American people are being duped and lied to by their own govt as per usual.

China confirms balloon is theirs, as spokesperson claims it is civilian research airship

The People's Republic of China has confirmed ownership of the suspected spy balloon floating over the Northern United States first seen on Thursday.

www.foxnews.com

Nothing to worry about here. Just happens to be hanging around nuclear capable Air Force facilities. Honest mistake I guess. Nothing to see here, not even the fact that China continuously rips off United States intellectual property and has a deep hatred for the United States.

Hey, just accidentally crossed the Pacific Ocean and they lost track of it. Biden and his administration is absolutely weak and they should’ve never been allowed to happen.

 

[Mallardsx2]

^ Now we capture it and verify their story.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

My money would be on it being something the US military is testing. The Chinese could probably get more info from Google Earth than from a balloon floating randomly overhead.

Your expertise on the matter is reassuring.

 

[Nameless Range]

The Chinese are liars, but there's something about the story that just seems silly. It is true that they have satellites, but many sensors don't function through the atmosphere very well. Most of the higher resolution imagery you see in OnX or Google Earth, when you zoom in, was acquired by airplane for just that reason.

Surprised a citizen with a drone hasn't gone up there an pestered it.