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dgdio t1_j8y6r86 wrote

If I were Raytheon I'd be giving every kid in China a balloon that could make it make it to the USA.

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shadowdrgn0 t1_j909r8z wrote

That’s a scheme that seems so utterly ridiculous that it might actually happen.

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Hndlbrrrrr t1_j925bfn wrote

Once it’s discovered we’ll just fine Raytheon for exploiting child labor. And the Supreme Court will overturn the fine because.

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JenMacAllister t1_j8yevzf wrote

I wonder what happened to the other 98 Luftballons?

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Jello_hell t1_j8yl4l5 wrote

I had 99 luftballoons and they were all shot down by the US of A

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tugrumpler t1_j8y8aqr wrote

You have your own weather balloon?

not any more..

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rexspook t1_j8y7nze wrote

It’s a 32” balloon. I thought the military stated the objects were about the size of a car? Seems like a stretch

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ux3l t1_j8yd03b wrote

They expand at high altitudes because of the low pressure

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alexxerth t1_j8ya7xu wrote

Don't you need to register these sort of things with the FAA if they're flying in commercial flight paths?

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Amikoj t1_j8yeyim wrote

Honest question, how many commercial flight paths are there at 100,000 ft?

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alexxerth t1_j8yf5xu wrote

I don't think any, but this one was lower, near 40k ft.

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Fpvmeister t1_j8ygvkz wrote

It still needs to ascend through airspace used by airliners.

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complete_hick t1_j8ylsyj wrote

None. Highest flying commercial jet was the Concorde at 60k, highest flying jet was the SR71 at 80k, anying higher than that needs rockets

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Amikoj t1_j8ymbt7 wrote

>anying higher than that needs rockets

or balloons

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Vocal_Ham t1_j921zaa wrote

None, but there are plenty that exist below it that the balloon has to travel through first.

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jayfeather31 t1_j8y9kmk wrote

So, we spent $400,000 to down a $12 balloon, not counting everything else that went into the firing of the missile.

JFC.

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BuffaloInCahoots t1_j8yh4j9 wrote

The same people complaining about this are the same ones that lost their shit because we didn’t shoot down the first one fast enough.

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blind_bambi t1_j8yhq2f wrote

Some are the same but I think it's worth complaining about and I didn't think the first one needed to be shot down

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BuffaloInCahoots t1_j8yjwvr wrote

The first one was shot down when it needed to be, we definitely wanted to take a look at it and it clearly wasn’t a weather balloon. This one might not have needed to be shot down but everyone’s on high alert now. Also the cost is pointless, it’s good training and we spent way way more on stupider things.

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blind_bambi t1_j8yk1ij wrote

Whatever dude.

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ErectionDenier2024 t1_j8yr7sn wrote

What a well thought out, nuanced response. /s

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blind_bambi t1_j8ytxjz wrote

They didn't actually give a reason for saying it needed to be shot down. Justifying it by saying the practice is good is kind of bs that deserves nothing more than a whatever dude lol

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BuffaloInCahoots t1_j8yyhlw wrote

The high alert was the main reason. The training and wasteful money was to counter the cost of shooting it down. I don’t know how much is grandstanding by gov officials but until recently they all seemed pretty concerned about it. Also the balloon was at an altitude that could interfere with planes, so we shot it down. Didn’t really cost us anything and gave some pilot a little training. The only thing that concerns me is now the whole world knows our capabilities. We can accurately track and shoot down a balloon sized object, with a almost no existent radar signature. I’m undecided if that’s a bad thing or a good thing for everyone to know.

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One_Hand_Smith t1_j900qfy wrote

Let's be honest it wasn't because of planes, if it was you don't wait until it crosses the entire continental usa to down it lol.

I think it was just pr personally, lil bit of political capital can go a long way if used correctly, and if there is one thing america wants on china, is political power.

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BuffaloInCahoots t1_j900ywf wrote

I should have been specific the danger to planes was the one in Alaska. If I remember right it was at 20k which is in flight range. The one that crossed the states was at 60-70k and would only have been a danger once we shot it down.

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One_Hand_Smith t1_j9027l6 wrote

Okay, that one I get behind atleast since it was just entering American air space.

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Toolatetootired t1_j91ld1y wrote

What you are saying has merit but is missing quite a bit of detail. The one that they didn't shoot down (until it crossed the entirety of the United States) was huge and loaded with technology capable of spying on the US. These ones they did shoot down were likely hobby balloons.

So they did nothing while we were spied on; queue public outcry.

Then they wasted a lot of money and effort to blow up something to try to distract us from their inaction the first time around; queue public outcry.

The details matter.

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EuropeanTrainMan t1_j90qxnm wrote

The planes need to be flown regardless should they start rotting. Pilots also need practice.

The only real expense is the missile.

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meatball77 t1_j90zldx wrote

Eeh, to be fair it was a good training exercise for the airmen.

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JOWWLLL t1_j8zrg2r wrote

Meanwhile, at the Pentagon:

Colonel: PRIVATE! Our Commander-in-Chief needs answers about that commie chy-na balloon. Where's that spreadsheet?

Private: Yes sir. Right here, sir.

Very good. Tell me, how much did logistics, jet fuel, salaries, and that one fancy missile cost the American people?

*tap tap tap tap* $1,200.000.00, sir.

And how much did those toilet seats we ordered last week cost us, apiece?

*tap tap* ... *tap tap tap tap* $18,000.00.

YOU WILL ADDRESS ME AS SIR!

Sir Yes Sir! Sorry, Sir! $18,000.00 Sir!

That's better. Now. How much to manufacture those seats?

*tap tap tap* 18 cents, sir.

Given these figures, what is your conclusion? Speak freely.

Well sir, for decades the military has paid our suppliers orders of magnitude more for toilet seats than they should have, and nobody cares. I see no need to worry about cost overruns here.

Private, you are a goddamn genius! I thank you, and our President thanks you. You have a bright future as a loyal and obedient member of the United States Military.

Sir, thank you, Sir. I have one more question, if I may?

Go ahead, private.

There's the small matter of reimbursing that hobbyist $20.00 for his bal-

DISMISSED!!!!!

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euchrebot t1_j8z1lx1 wrote

So Illinois is spying on Canada is what I got from this.

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DeviousAardvark t1_j8ynqu0 wrote

So to clarify, this is the 2ND ballon that entered Alaskan airspace that was shot down after the first one that was confirmed to be a spy balloon. Very misleading title

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africanasshat t1_j8yiikv wrote

That kid didn’t know it yet but he got taught an early lesson in life.

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dvdmaven t1_j8yjfow wrote

One out of three may have been?

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Rosebunse t1_j8zpvaf wrote

Is anyone else surprised these things don't get shot down more often?

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DFWPunk t1_j8zsb08 wrote

Or it may not have been since those balloons get lost all the time.

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girlyopticks t1_j90g279 wrote

Wtf is going on? How could they not know this already?! I’m honestly not believing any of this . This whole thing feels staged

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KimJongIlSunglasses t1_j90k27i wrote

What are there amateur weather balloon hobbyists? Wtf kind of hobby is that?

And your telling me $12 pays for a 30 foot balloon?

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alrighty66 t1_j90vkco wrote

And what was the price tag on that stunt?

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ctiger12 t1_j91tkcb wrote

Whoever claims those balloons will be charged for FAA violations, right?

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Dynasuarez-Wrecks t1_j8za060 wrote

This is what $150,000 of flight time accomplishes. Best equipped military in the world. Much wow.

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Uncle_Leo93 OP t1_j8yu67b wrote

ITT: lmaomericans

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Korith_Eaglecry t1_j8yhzjb wrote

Ask yourself this. They made a big show of force shooting down the Chinese balloon and the other 3 objects. Why are they willing to take an L here PR wise by admitting they shot a god damn mylar birthday balloon out of the sky? That screams incompetence and an absolute lack of ability to protect the nation. You can accept their answers. Buy I'm suspicious of this whole thing. I don't think it's aliens. But I'm having a hard time believing for 3 days straight they were just blasting trash out of the sky, and no one had the common sense to put a stop to the panic shooting over our skies.

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adeadfreelancer t1_j8yovs6 wrote

It's security theatre/propaganda. Create a thing for the country to be scared about so that they're more likely to be on your side when it comes time for something fucked up. This panic just screams of the "alert level color system"

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Coke_Addict26 t1_j8yhj8m wrote

That's about what I expected. They allowed our air space to be violated and got embarrassed, so then they got trigger happy to say "see we are keeping you safe".

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euchrebot t1_j8z1iud wrote

Exercising the will of the people. Can’t complain

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Coke_Addict26 t1_j8z7w3h wrote

What are you on about? I'm pretty sure the will of the people would be to shoot down the Chinese "weather balloon" on the Pacific side of the continent. Not the Atlantic after it crossed all the way over. Am I officially not allowed to complain anymore like it's the Soviet Union? I missed that memo.

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euchrebot t1_j8z8rag wrote

The people did not know about it then and therefore could not let their will be known

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Coke_Addict26 t1_j8zas7i wrote

And you don't see a problem with that? The whole point of democracy is we get to judge if the elected leaders are doing a good job or not. And some guy in Montana spotting a hostile aircraft before NORAD does is a problem. Or if they saw it coming and did nothing, I'm not sure which is worse. The bottom is anyone with critical thinking can see plenty to complain about here.

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euchrebot t1_j8zdogx wrote

There are many things the government doesn’t make public in order to not reveal intel capabilities to adversaries.

Are you aware of the progress of Russian hypersonic missile developments or Iran’s nuclear program? Even as we speak, Ayatollah Razmara and his cadre of fanatics are consolidating their power!

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