[tc4me]

The US is tracking a suspected Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon over the continental United States, defense officials said on Thursday, a discovery that risks adding further strain to tense US-China relations.

Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said the US government has been tracking the balloon for several days as it made its way over the northern United States, adding it was “traveling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground.”

Speaking on background, a senior US defense official said senior military officials had advised President Joe Biden not to shoot it down due to fear the debris could pose a safety threat to people on the ground.

“We are confident that this high-altitude surveillance balloon belongs to the [People’s Republic of China],” the senior defense official said. “Instances of this activity have been observed over the past several years, including prior to this administration.”

While the balloon’s current flight path carries it over “a number of sensitive sites,” the official said it does not present a significant intelligence gathering risk. The balloon is assessed to have “limited additive value” from an intelligence collection perspective, the official added.

The US, the official said, is “taking steps nevertheless to protect against foreign intelligence collection of sensitive information. We are also tracking what abilities it could have in gaining insights, and continue to monitor the balloon as it was over the continental United States.”

Here

[SpookyZalost]

I mean it's a balloon right? Why don't we just steal it... We've captured probes re-entering the atmosphere by helicopter so just shoot it down and skyhook it.

or is china going to threaten to Zerg rush us if we pop their balloon? Worst war reason ever.

[Darth-Apple]

They're trying to provoke the world again, as usual. Not terribly surprised to see this coming from the CCP.

Their rhetoric towards Taiwan is starting to concern me a bit. They've been trying to take it back for a while now, I hope that Taiwan is able to hold itself okay. I don't particularly trust the United States to do a good job of actually having their back with the way things have been lately.

[tc4me]

Real nonsense, no idea what China wants? provoke? espionage ? How stupid are they?

[SpookyZalost]

China is China... only China knows what they want... and given their attitude about the moon they want the world... but NATO won't let them take it that's for sure.

Update: The Balloon has been blown out of the sky! woot!

[tc4me]

another possible spy balloon is hovering over Latin America, according to information from the United States. “We are seeing reports of a balloon flying over Latin America. We are in the process of finding out whether this is another Chinese surveillance balloon," said US Department of Defense spokesman Pat Ryder on Friday evening (local time), as reported by the dpa news agency.

It had previously become known that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was postponing a trip to the People's Republic in connection with a first suspected Chinese espionage balloon over the United States. This was announced on Friday from Washington government circles. It would have been the first visit by a US Secretary of State to China since 2018. According to media reports, Blinken was also to be received by China's head of state and party leader Xi Jinping.

[Darth-Apple]

Kinda makes me curious what they're getting ready to do. Not the first time China has done this, but they seem to be probing the whole world for some reason.

They're trying to figure out who's going to react and how they're gonna do it.

[SpookyZalost]

Kinda makes me curious what they're getting ready to do. Not the first time China has done this, but they seem to be probing the whole world for some reason.

They're trying to figure out who's going to react and how they're gonna do it.

I mean they're pulling a classic starcraft zerg strategy.  Use an overlord to scout out your enemy's base and fortifications then swarm them from a weakspot they're not expecting.



the overlord btw is a floating balloon like unit who's only purpose is scouting relatively undetected.

[Darth-Apple]

Yea, they've been making these kinds of threats for a while too. But they seem to be more serious about it now than they were in the past.

It still feels like a bluff to me, but I think they've got bigger plans on the horizon.

[tc4me]

One thing I recognize here from outside, with Biden, all other countries like China, Russia and so on, actually do what they want, because Biden seems absolutely lame! With Trump, nobody would have dared to do anything like that! Because with Trump they knew that he is absolutely aggressive and does not let himself be danced around on his nose