Used to be that intrusion into our airspace by a military adversary was reason enough to bring down the intruder. What did we do back when the Japanese were releasing potentially (if mostly ineffective) bombs born by balloons towards the U.S. west coast.?
For that matter, what our adversaries did when we went “over”. Ask Gary Powers about that while visiting Soviet airspace in ’60, willya?
Also used to be that we would just take care of business and not one iota of information would appear, anywhere, the item of interest just vanished off radar to end up in some secure U.S. military facility for detailed analysis and countermeasure development.
Blabbing about it on national TV then dithering on what to do about it does not instill much confidence that we have our best men on the case, no-siree, only clowns with apologies to real hard working entertainers of that description.
Where are the SR-71’s with mounted gun to punch a few small holes such that it would (maybe) gently lose altitude? Maybe followed by a C130 at lower altitude to snag it with a towed grapple?
The “can do” spirit appears evanescent or more likely smothered by indecisive idiots.
By Terrapod
Born in small country in S. America, U.S. citizen since '85, EE, Marketing, Sales, Shade Tree Mechanic, collector of things interesting including good friends from all walks, especially those that partake single malts.
China has also suggested some theme music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-UQ0-8ktAM
Also, the SR-71’s are retired and I think the engines have been pulled. They’re all just museum pieces these days and the supporting infrastructure is gone as well.
Still, an F-15 and a couple of rounds from the cannon would do the trick.
Ground laser test.
Yes, that or one of the airborne ones on the 747 platform did occur to me. Might blind the device if nothing else.
I would think we have lasers that can burn holes.
Sadly you are correct. I thought the four birds given to NASA were still active but alas, I see now that they were all decommissioned in 1997.
So the question then becomes, what do we have that can reach 70.000 ft manned?
https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/news/FactSheets/FS-030-DFRC.html
Another rabbit hole. Look at the dates and aircraft that achieved high altitude. Apparently we have nothing manned and flying that can reach the thing. Short of using a missile or airborne ;laser to brng it down.. Air force needs a major rethink.
https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/aircraft-ranked-by-ceiling.php
Waited until PRC mission across US was complete then downed it in such a way as to make recovery and forensic analysis damn near impossible. Bought and paid for fits the MO.. Whatever it was doing, likely real time upload of data to overhead satellite relay back to the PLA. Hope enough is recovered and actually analyzed but have extremely… Read more »
I needed a good laugh after a week of almost dying from COVID… I was not disappointed. A Nation Run by Wusses? A nation populated by idiots, is a better description. Worthy of a foot in the ass, to channel my Red Foreman. Do you not realize we occupy the “cheap seats” in this — and so many other stories?… Read more »
You most definitely are not wrong on the matter of an ever increasing supply of idiots voting in their own ilk.I highly doubt many gun owners will be out on the back porch shooting at something 100,000 ft distant, most know their ballistics.Not sure where that bit of news came from, Babylon Bee perhaps?. As to what might remain for… Read more »
It’s nice to see new material here. When Aaron told me that someone had posted something on the Chinese balloon here, I could not resist. You most definitely are not wrong on the matter of an ever increasing supply of idiots voting in their own ilk. I wasn’t talking about voters, per se. I’m talking about any and everyone who gets… Read more »
Glad to see you’re still above ground, DJ. Keep it up!
The YAL-1 could have done the job, but it was dismantled in 2014, so no laser plane is available. As noted, we don’t have U-2s or SR-71’s any more, and those were unarmed anyways.
Okay, THAT was funny.
So let’s add to to laugh track. Anyone believe that there were multiple baloon sigthings during Trump’s presidency that were kept secret and not reported? You mean to say that the media and their minders let pass an opportunity to malign, denigrate and destroy Trump as “incompetent” over such an event? Please, my credulity no longer stretches that much. The… Read more »
You are making this hard for me… So let’s add to to laugh track. Anyone believe that there were multiple baloon sigthings during Trump’s presidency that were kept secret and not reported? Well apparently there were at least three that were discovered here in the US during the Trump years, and more even earlier, and not just here in the… Read more »