Spy balloon sent by China to US skies,

[_Ritch_]

It does seem stoopid to use an air-to-air missile, but it's been said that the US does not have much else in options for that altitude. Most fighters don't have Gatling guns that way the A-10 does or older WWII aircraft did.

A missile was used because the M61 Vulcan on board the F22 only has an effective range of 2,000ft. According to USAF reports and radio transmissions picked up by civilians, the Raptor was cleared to 58,000ft in altitude - the balloon was still 7,000ft above that during that period.

They used the smallest and cheapest air-to-air missile in the USAF inventory.

 

[jaF0]

But Kar-Bear though she'd get it with her shootin' arn.

 

[VinnyVeritas]

Reason has a hilarious take on the incident:

By Shooting Down Balloon, the Expensive, Useless F-22 Fighter Finally Won a Dogfight​

After $67 billion and more than 20 years, the F-22 finally won a dogfight against an unarmed, nearly immobile opponent.​

When it officially entered military service in 2005, the U.S. Air Force hailed the F-22 Raptor as an "exponential leap in warfighting capabilities."

American taxpayers ultimately paid $67 billion to buy 187 of the planes, which had been in development since 1986 "to project air dominance, rapidly and at great distances" with technical capabilities that "cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter aircraft."

On Saturday, the F-22 scored its first-ever victory against an airborne adversary when it shot down…a balloon.

There may not be a better metaphor for the costly grandiosity of the American military than the use of a multi-million-dollar fighter jet to dispatch an unarmed, unmaneuverable opponent. But the fact that the F-22 had never won a dogfight before its decisive victory over what may or may not have been a Chinese spy balloon is a nice illustration of why the United States has the world's most expensive military by a massive margin.

Eric Boehm
https://reason.com/2023/02/06/by-sh...-useless-f-22-fighter-finally-won-a-dogfight/

 

[Chobham]

Anyone claimed the wreckage yet?

 

[Rotadom]

Speaking of public humiliation!

Yes, we are aware.

 

[VinnyVeritas]

Anyone claimed the wreckage yet?

Poseidon?

 

[Chobham]

The CCP's kinda in a pickle with this one and their faux outrage.

 

[zipman]

The CCP's kinda in a pickle with this one and their faux outrage.

Not as much a Republicans are. Which is pretty hysterical.

 

[icanhelp1]

Biden's in a pickle, "got some splaining to do Lucy". Americans not too happy with the slow response. Had multiple opportunities to take it down over land where equipment and data could be salvaged with less damage. Salt water really play's havoc with electronics.

 

[zipman]

Biden's in a pickle, "got some splaining to do Lucy". Americans not too happy with the slow response. Had multiple opportunities to take it down over land where equipment and data could be salvaged with less damage. Salt water really play's havoc with electronics.

Lol, and if he had it shot it down over land you ass clowns would be accusing him off trying to destroy Hunter Biden's laptop with the wreckage.

 

[icanhelp1]

^^^^^

 

[jomar]

Just noting in response to an idiocy that the president of the United States is not the only decision maker in any given U.S. government.

…

BDS is abundant with the armchair generals and keyboard military experts.

Reason has a hilarious take on the incident:

By Shooting Down Balloon, the Expensive, Useless F-22 Fighter Finally Won a Dogfight​

After $67 billion and more than 20 years, the F-22 finally won a dogfight against an unarmed, nearly immobile opponent.​

When it officially entered military service in 2005, the U.S. Air Force hailed the F-22 Raptor as an "exponential leap in warfighting capabilities."

American taxpayers ultimately paid $67 billion to buy 187 of the planes, which had been in development since 1986 "to project air dominance, rapidly and at great distances" with technical capabilities that "cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter aircraft."

On Saturday, the F-22 scored its first-ever victory against an airborne adversary when it shot down…a balloon.

There may not be a better metaphor for the costly grandiosity of the American military than the use of a multi-million-dollar fighter jet to dispatch an unarmed, unmaneuverable opponent. But the fact that the F-22 had never won a dogfight before its decisive victory over what may or may not have been a Chinese spy balloon is a nice illustration of why the United States has the world's most expensive military by a massive margin.

Eric Boehm
https://reason.com/2023/02/06/by-sh...-useless-f-22-fighter-finally-won-a-dogfight/

So you’re down for reducing military spending. Got it.

 

[schism666]

Biden's in a pickle, "got some splaining to do Lucy". Americans not too happy with the slow response. Had multiple opportunities to take it down over land where equipment and data could be salvaged with less damage. Salt water really play's havoc with electronics.

yeah. i'm sure the chinese forgot to scotch guard it. lol

moron.

 

[VinnyVeritas]

The CCP's kinda in a pickle with this one and their faux outrage.

How dare they shoot it down!

Has zipperhead ever found a topic in which he has no reason to just go straight to bashing the vast, right-wing conspiracy?

 

[VinnyVeritas]

....


So you’re down for reducing military spending. Got it.

How so? I didn't write the article. Look at how I introduced it...

 

[ll74]

China is really flexing its muscles now

“The Chinese side will continue communicating with the US side and properly handle this unexpected situation caused by force majeure,” the statement added, using a legalistic term to mean circumstances beyond China’s control.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/03/politics/china-us-balloon-intl/index.html

 

[zipman]

How dare they shoot it down!

Has zipperhead ever found a topic in which he has no reason to just go straight to bashing the vast, right-wing conspiracy?

I was bashing the vast, right wing "idicracy."

Try and keep up.

 

[BabyBoomer50s]

WSJ editorial board….

Seen Any Other Spy Balloons Lately?​

An $850 billion defense budget, and we can’t detect a Chinese airship?​

“The Biden Team was leaking over the weekend that balloons had snuck into U.S. airspace during the Trump Administration, and the obvious implication was to absolve President Biden of political blame. More than one media outfit took the bait. But then Trump officials started denying on the record that they’d ever heard of such an event—from former national security adviser John Bolton to Defense Secretary Mark Esper to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

“The Administration’s attempt to muddy responsibility is bad enough, but the revelation that at least three past balloon flights evaded U.S. notice is alarming. “I will tell you that we did not detect those threats,” Air Force Gen. Glen VanHerck of U.S. Northern Command told reporters on Monday. In Pentagon argot for the ages, he called it “a domain awareness gap.” The U.S. government ostensibly pieced the puzzle together later with the help of the intelligence community.

 

[DeluxAuto]

WSJ editorial board….

Seen Any Other Spy Balloons Lately?​

An $850 billion defense budget, and we can’t detect a Chinese airship?​

“The Biden Team was leaking over the weekend that balloons had snuck into U.S. airspace during the Trump Administration, and the obvious implication was to absolve President Biden of political blame. More than one media outfit took the bait. But then Trump officials started denying on the record that they’d ever heard of such an event—from former national security adviser John Bolton to Defense Secretary Mark Esper to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

“The Administration’s attempt to muddy responsibility is bad enough, but the revelation that at least three past balloon flights evaded U.S. notice is alarming. “I will tell you that we did not detect those threats,” Air Force Gen. Glen VanHerck of U.S. Northern Command told reporters on Monday. In Pentagon argot for the ages, he called it “a domain awareness gap.” The U.S. government ostensibly pieced the puzzle together later with the help of the intelligence community.

Oped from a paywall that blames President Biden for a system he didn't create.

Great piece, babyshit.

 

[Rotadom]

Oped from a paywall that blames President Biden for a system he didn't create.

Great piece, babyshit.

 

[jomar]

How so? I didn't write the article. Look at how I introduced it...

Oops, my bad. I thought that perhaps by posting the article you were agreeing with its premise.

 

[BabyBoomer50s]

Oped from a paywall that blames President Biden for a system he didn't create.

Great piece, babyshit.

Did you bother to read the excerpt I posted? It doesn’t blame Biden for the creating the “system.“ It points out that these giant balloons, which can be easily seen from the ground by the human eye, have flown over US airspace in the past undetected by military warning systems until after the fact. That’s a problem.

 

[zipman]

Oops, my bad. I thought that perhaps by posting the article you were agreeing with its premise.

That would require having the balls to actually stand behind a position on any topic.

 

[DeluxAuto]

Did you bother to read the excerpt I posted?

Yes. Did you?

 

[_Ritch_]

Lol, and if he had it shot it down over land you ass clowns would be accusing him off trying to destroy Hunter Biden's laptop with the wreckage.

Exactly. I saw a report stating he wanted it taken care of pretty early on but was advised by military officials to wait until it reached the ocean to limit damage to civilians and infrastructure. They estimated the payload under the balloon was several thousand pounds in weight.