Originally Posted by India Four Two
(Post 11379224)
Yes, Montana is about 50% larger than the UK in area and has only 2% of the population - about one million. It's a big state - 550 miles east-west and 300 miles north south.
You could shoot the balloon down with minimal risk of hitting anyone! |
Looks more like a university or scientific instrument than a military asset...
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How did it get this far before being noticed? Doesn't the US have an ADIZ? I would have thought a 3xbus sized floating o ject would have triggered something before it was over the top of mainland US, and been dealt with before that point.
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BBC News reporting that it "flew over several sensitive military installations".
Presumably, being a balloon, then like any other balloon it just went where the wind took it? |
Originally Posted by rmcdonal
(Post 11379250)
How did it get this far before being noticed? Doesn't the US have an ADIZ? I would have thought a 3xbus sized floating o ject would have triggered something before it was over the top of mainland US, and been dealt with before that point.
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Originally Posted by DaveReidUK
(Post 11379252)
BBC News reporting that it "flew over several sensitive military installations".
:O |
Minuteman silos are easily spotted using Google earth - I doubt a balloon would add much info
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Why bother? Its presence is known and knocking it down gives an indication of high altitude defence capability. |
Originally Posted by DaveReidUK
(Post 11379252)
BBC News reporting that it "flew over several sensitive military installations".
Presumably, being a balloon, then like any other balloon it just went where the wind took it? |
Perhaps it is a stray weather balloon- but the PRC would say that, wouldn’t they? If it is actually spying then it might be more beneficial for the US to intercept its transmissions and decode what it is reporting than it would be to bring it down - if indeed they have the technology to bring down something flying at perhaps 80,000 feet. If they do have the technology they might not want to demonstrate it.
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Originally Posted by Asturias56
(Post 11379277)
Minuteman silos are easily spotted using Google earth - I doubt a balloon would add much info
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If you want to photograph an ICBM silo, go rent a C172 |
Spying Over Montana?
Looking at a map I've always got the feeling that Montana is an old man spying on Idaho. Sticking his nose right into Idaho's business https://media.officedepot.com/images...40_o01/8325540 You can't unsee that now "If you want to photograph an ICBM silo, go rent a C172 and snap away" - Not so easy to do in the US any more. Not if you're not a citizen at least |
Originally Posted by melmothtw
(Post 11379297)
True, but by the same token if it is feeding intelligence back in real time you don't want it staying aloft.
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Originally Posted by Ninthace
(Post 11379330)
If you know it is there, you do not give it any intelligence to gather other than height, pressure, wind speed, temperature, humidity, atmospheric composition, presence of pollutants, incidence of cosmic rays, ozone levels and so on. :=
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Originally Posted by melmothtw
(Post 11379334)
Lol, good luck getting any government/military organisation to move that quick.
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Originally Posted by MechEngr
(Post 11379028)
Don't forget to correct for curvature of the Earth!
Nearly Legober ...... a bit early for that. Fanger trouble |
Originally Posted by Ninthace
(Post 11379231)
Why bother? Its presence is known and knocking it down gives an indication of high altitude defence capability.
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