>>47264 Probably went through Canada.

>>47264 At first I saw reports that it came via Alaska and Canada, but now I no longer see mentions of Alaska. Technically Canada has declined to say whether it entered our airspace either, but given that Ottawa has summoned the Chinese ambassador over it, that much seems obvious.

>>47260 >>47263 If they'e afraid of debris why don't they just pop the balloon with some cannon fire?

>>47266 Ever heard of NORAD? The DEW line? What's that, over 1'000 miles inland from any North American coastline when it was """discovered"""? Straightest shot is literally directly over WA, ID, then MT. What's the Globohomo's game here Strelok?

>>47268 Dunno, you'ld have to figure out the details of the sighting system and effectiveness of the ammunition to hit a target you could likely fit between your fingers if you squinted at it from a distance. There is one in Latin America too. This feels a lot like the beginning phase of a tabletop military strategy game. https://web.archive.org/web/20230204013600/https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/other/pentagon-says-another-chinese-spy-balloon-is-traveling-over-latin-america/ar-AA175JRP

https://web.archive.org/save/twitter.com/lrozen/status/1621621581817544705 Here is a closer look at it.

>>47271 >Tried to enhance the quality as best as I could I wouldn't call mangling the image with heavy-handed ESRGAN upscaling an "enhancement".

>>47268 These things typically settle out at 100'000 ft.+ in altitude (~20miles). I suppose certain ballistic artillery could hit it. Probably want a very calm wind day to do it. >>47270 >This feels a lot like the beginning phase of a tabletop military strategy game. leld >>47272 Interesting. Nice work.

>>47273 >Nice work. No, I'm not saying I did. That's what the tweet he got the image from claimed. I posted the original, un-"enhanced" photo.

>>47270 >This feels a lot like the beginning phase of a tabletop military strategy game. Yeah, blatantly flying surveillance aircraft over another country's territory is pretty significant. As far as I know even the US usually keeps it close enough to the edges to claim it was outside these days, or over disputed territory, except sometimes with Iran. Actual unambiguous airspace violations are mostly Cold War tier.

Whiteman Air Force Base approach incoming Don't surveil tase my B2's bro!

So the Chicoms master plan is to fly glorified weather balloons over the USA's mainland? Clearly the PLA didn't learn anything from history given the Japan did the same during once and it accomplished fuck all aside from being a interesting newspaper headline.

Also please excuse the typos, R9Gay forced me to edit my post a dozen times for whatever reason.

>>47290 Seems I recall the Nips did actually set fire to an OG drivein theatre or something in Washington state with one of their incidiary ballons? Actually, I think that was literally the only direct attack on the mainland US during the entire war. What's the next step in their master plan, Strelok? >inb4 flotillas of baloobas bearing smol tactical nukes

>>47290 >glorified weather balloons That is just a diplomatic excuse for China. The most plausible theory I have seen is that the weather balloons exist to gather data not acquirable in satellites. Namely radar defences, and especially in the region housing most of the ICBM infrastructure.

>>47294 >>47290 According to Wikipedia the balloons did kill six people:

>>47294 >I think that was literally the only direct attack on the mainland US during the entire war. There were a few submarine bombardments too. >>47297 Damn website submitted my post when I tried to paste in text. I don't know why this piece of shit board software does that. I can only assume It interprets newline characters as an "Enter" keystroke, so that combined with Ctrl being held down when hitting Ctrl-V, the Ctrl-Enter submits the post. But that sounds completely retarded. >On May 5, 1945, six civilians were killed near Bly, Oregon, when they discovered one of the balloon bombs in Fremont National Forest, becoming the only fatalities from enemy action in the continental U.S. during the war. >Reverend Archie Mitchell and his pregnant wife Elsie (age 26) drove to Gearhart Mountain that day with five of their Sunday school students for a picnic. While Archie was moving the car, Elsie and the children found the balloon lying on the ground. A large explosion occurred; the four boys (Edward Engen, 13; Jay Gifford, 13; Dick Patzke, 14; and Sherman Shoemaker, 11) were killed instantly, while Joan Patzke (13) and Elsie died several minutes later. A bomb disposal expert guessed that the bomb had been kicked.[38] Military personnel who arrived on the scene saw that the balloon still had snow beneath it while the surrounding area did not. They concluded that the balloon had drifted to the ground several weeks earlier, and had lain there undisturbed until found by the group. The press blackout in the U.S. was lifted on May 22 to ensure that others were warned of the threat.[39] >A memorial, the Mitchell Monument, is located at the point of the explosion, 50 miles (80 kilometres) northeast of Klamath Falls in the Mitchell Recreation Area. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. Several Japanese civilians have visited the monument to offer their apologies for the deaths that took place here, and cherry trees have been planted around the monument as a symbol of peace.

>>47273 I'm livid at how most people seem to think that just because pictures are being taken means bubba can shutz it derwn wit his thirty awt stix. Its at around 60,000 ft being reported by the Pentagon. There are two theories i've heard (telegram channels): 1) DoD is unwilling to effectively engage it because Miley wants the chinese to collect data on military infrastructure (specifically nuclear silo positions) why not hand it to them in a manila folder then go through this fiasco?? 2) The DoD is incapable to target it due to lack of a reflective signal, or weapons specialized in dissabling high altitude spy balloons. I'm leaning toward the latter as the former seems to be coming from Q tier boog-tards.

https://web.archive.org/web/20230204081834/https://twitter.com/kanekoathegreat/status/1621632233168830465 More Balloons. We really are in the first phase of a tabletop military strategy game.

>>47298 >national symbol of japan placed around the monument >"sign of peace" >implying it's not a sign of conquest/victory

>>47302 >not wanting the biggest ballon-go-boom evar We can all tell you're not from around here. And while I recognize that you may not actually be, you also come across as some pink-haired Filthy Commie >Zer muh gerd!1 Don't hurt teh poor thing!11 What did it evar do to U!111 REDNECK!111111 As to your suppositions, your first one is far more likely: it's plainly intentional by the Usurper-in-Chief's handlers to allow it. Anglin probably has the correct perspective on this, I think. As to your second one, that's just silly. They have 9'001 different ways to knock such a barn-door sluggard out of the skies. >>47303 Lol wtf is that over the Phillipines? Some kind of flying boat? :^)

>>47302 >means bubba can shutz it derwn wit his thirty awt stix Where's Ben Garrison when we need him? Isn't he in Montana?

>>47307 >Where's Ben Garrison when we need him? Isn't he in Montana? Good point. AFAICT he actually frequented 8ch/pol to gibb new drops, it was great. I miss finding all the originals. Hopefully he shot it down before it crossed the state line. :^)

>>47306 >not from around here >comes at me with 4/8cuck ":^)" You're trying so hard right now. I don't care if the balloon goes up, down, back to china, or in Ben Garisson's garage. Merely the fact that a CCP asset has been traveling within U.S. air space unharassed for this long means it has gotteb what it needs. If I was a border resident in northern Montana and had the capabilities to reach 60,000ft avove my property I would've shoy it and collected whatever precious helium was left over. Otherwise as an average no-AA jor what do you expect me to do? Fly up a counter balloon....hmmm.

Apparently the Weimericans have closed airspace on the east coast and are sending fighters to intercept the fiendish balloon of mass destruction. It's like 9/11 all over again. They're hoping to shoot it down off the coast and recover the payload from the sea. I hope the Chinks put a self-destruct charge in it. Or there's literally nothing in it except a trollface and the kanji for LOL.

>>47313 >Or there's literally nothing in it except a trollface and the kanji for LOL. KEK

>>47313 USAF has successfully shot down an balloon. Estimated cost of operation $3million. Animalistic hollerings of 'USA! USA! Go 'murika!' reported across northern Florida. RIP balloon. You were the hero we needed.

>>47316 F We hardly knew ye. or is it Yi in this case?

>>47313 Press statement.

>>47320 >only shoot it down after it travels across half the country taking thousands of photos/videos and sending it back home genius

>>47321 But you see anon, even though they tracked it across Alaska, western Canada, and Montana, it was obviously impossible to shoot it down over such densely populated areas.

>>47320 What a clownworld statement. Can't wait for what they say after they've retrieved the payload. >two artifacts were lawfully recovered from inside the lawfully confiscated chinese espionage device which unlawfully threatened our democracy >department of defense specialists found a monochrome drawing of a bald man with a wrinkled face, leering expression and broad grin >below this disturbing image was the sigil 笑 >pentagon cryptography experts report that both symbols are commonly used online by chinese military extremists >the discovery of said artifacts undeniably indicates imminent unlawful chinese aggression against the democracy of taiwan

>>47321 FWIW Biden said he gave the order on Wednesday but DOD gave him the excuse about population density, which suggests the whole >>47302 >DoD is unwilling to effectively engage it because Miley wants the chinese to collect data on military infrastructure (specifically nuclear silo positions) theory is accurate.

>>47324 >>department of defense specialists found a monochrome drawing of a bald man with a wrinkled face, leering expression and broad grin >below this disturbing image was the sigil 笑 Lol. We truly have entered the Balloon Age, Strelok. Getting caught was clearly all part of the plan.

>>47326 If it was that easy why couldn't the Chinese ask nicely and just take if from traitorous US generals? Miley would even put a bow on it.

>>47324 >>47327 >let's just make shit up that would never happen because the CCP is notoriously too serious about everything and bureaucratic for a sense of humor Don't confuse the fantasies you find amusing for reality, fags

>>47328 Because one demonstrates your superiority and spoils your rival's face in the eyes of your citizens.

>>47330 Two words, Strelok: >De >Caf

>>47333 Checked. >that bunny-diaper tho

>>47326 Listen Fat, when Biden says something, it's more likely to be the exact opposite of the truth than anything else. Especially if it's about a few days ago because there's no way he'd actually remember if it were true.

>>47333 what's with the frog thumbs up? bugmen are obviously going to say it was a weather balloon, burgers are going to say it was a surveillance balloon and say they recovered photopgraphs of Glorious Nuclear Arsenal on them from the shitter shattered fragments, this will eventually escalate into full-scale war, and only 70-80 years down the line will we learn the truth, just like Gulf of Tonkin

>>47303 >More Balloons. We really are in the first phase of a tabletop military strategy game. You know I never thought thought the cheap tower defense game (Bloons) would have predicted future events... But here we are, better get good a throwing darts I guess. >>47296 Yeah that was my theory too, balloon sounds less scary than drone so jokes aside it was probably a pretty good idea actually. Thought I wonder what they think they'll actually find aside from our ancient stockpile of minute man missiles guided by old IBM floppy disc PC's. >>47294 >Seems I recall the Nips did actually set fire to an OG drivein theatre or something in Washington state Indeed, however it proved to be more trouble than it was worth especially given sometimes those incendiary balloons would get blown back in their faces which was a lot more devastating to a country with the population density like Japans. >>47326 I personally believe they'd prefer to capture one if possible but who knows, maybe the Chicoms thought about that and had anti tampering measures installed.

>>47346 >I personally believe they'd prefer to capture one if possible but who knows Probably too risky for the aircraft given its size and unknown composition. Was thinking maybe they could snag it with a line, like how the Fulton system hooks the emergency weather balloon lines, and drop it in the ocean mostly intact.

>>47346 >it proved to be more trouble than it was worth The British version was relatively cost effective but not flashy. Escaped barrage balloons were causing enough disruption to their power system that they decided to do it on purpose to the Germans. They released a bunch of surplus weather balloons across the channel trailing piano wire to short out transmission lines and others with small incendiary bombs. They disrupted the power supply enough that fighters were diverted to shoot them down while the balloons cost pennies to make.

>>47346 Popularity of Balloon-based games suddenly EXPLODES

>>47344 >what's with the frog thumbs up? Their version of Pepe

>>47330 How retarded are you exactly?

Time for a new thread OP

>>47390 as long as this thread's not at the bottom of the catalog and nothing else is happening there really isn't a reason to make a new thread