# The Pentagon is tracking a Chinese spy balloon **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 3, 2023, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228 "2023-02-03T01:32:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 42
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/822 "2023-02-20T15:35:20Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Radar that picks up small, slow moving balloons will also pick up things like flocks of geese If an interceptor is dispatched they can distinguish the difference. They are not confusing birds with spy balloons. They are shooting at high flying, man made objects who’s purpose they may not be certain of. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/823 "2023-02-20T16:10:37Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Perhaps if it were a hobbyist balloon, it was blown into very tiny pieces. If it was (and I think most signs are pointing to probably) a hobbyist balloon the payload is already a very tiny piece, essentially a small circuit board and a couple of tiny solar panels, all weighing a few ounces and not much bigger than your hand. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/824 "2023-02-20T16:52:01Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > They are shooting at high flying, man made objects who’s purpose they may not be certain of. Sure, sure… 20,000 feet isn’t exactly “high flying” by modern standards. Anything in that altitude range is potentially a hazard to air navigation. This is in contrast to the known Chinese surveillance balloon at 60,000 feet. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2023, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/825 "2023-02-20T22:00:30Z")
No, I don’t think they do. Bolting on multiple [bomb ejection racks](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardpoint) and [LANTIRN](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LANTIRN) pods to a '22 would make it kinda ‘un-stealthy’. I know these balloons won’t ‘pop’, but I still like the thought of an A-10’s [GAU-8A](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GAU-8_Avenger) shreddin’ some plastic for an anti-climactic ‘payload drop’ out of the sky. C’mon, just a li’l burp or two of the gun . . . Tripler _BURP! BUR-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-R-P!_ 🤪 ---
**Author:** ![Al128](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/al128/32/16541_2.png) [@Al128](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Al128)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2023, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/826 "2023-02-21T01:40:50Z")
on a lighter side of things … > ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2023, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/827 "2023-02-24T20:09:12Z")
Innnnteresting: > **[Pentagon releases selfie taken by US pilot showing the Chinese spy balloon in...](https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/22/politics/pentagon-china-balloon-selfie/index.html)** > > The US Defense Department has released a selfie taken in the cockpit of a U-2 spy plane, as an airman flew above the Chinese surveillance balloon that was shot down by the US military earlier this month. ---
**Author:** ![Eric1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3bc359/32.png) [@Eric1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eric1)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2023, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/828 "2023-02-25T16:44:52Z")
I may be the only person i know who still thinks the US should have let the first Chinese balloon just float away last month. None of the reasons anyone in Congress or the White House said seemed good enough. I’ll bet if there were a survey other people might think the same though we’d hardly be popular. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2023, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/829 "2023-02-25T20:33:49Z")
Survey of which “other people?” And why do their opinions matter? We totally had the right under international law. The intel we get from the wreckage will be very valuable. OTOH, letting it float out over the Atlantic where the Chinese could have scuttled it mid-ocean would have advantaged the US exactly zero. And virtually eliminated any chance of gathering useful intel from the wreckage that we’d almost certainly never find, much less recover. Care to try again? ---
**Author:** ![Eric1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3bc359/32.png) [@Eric1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eric1)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2023, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/830 "2023-04-07T09:19:29Z")
I’d like to accede your point LSL-thanks for your pts. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2023, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/831 "2023-06-29T23:29:03Z")
And in recent news… [US says Chinese spy balloon downed in February did not collect information](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/29/chinese-spy-balloon-shot-information-biden) > “It’s been our assessment now that it did not collect intelligence while it was transiting the United States or overflying the United States,” said a Pentagon spokesman, Pat Ryder. Wait, what? > Ryder said the US “took steps to mitigate” intelligence collection by the balloon. So, we had a laser pointed at it’s camera while it went flying by? Strung up camo netting over sensitive locations? Someone help me out here. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2023, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/832 "2023-06-29T23:31:45Z")
Secret stuff is going to remain secret. Supposedly, our government has the means to jam/block/whatever their spy devices. But they aren’t going to tell the public about how that’s done because then the other guys would know and try to counter it. So… you don’t know, I don’t know, and anyone claiming to know is probably blowing smoke. ---
**Author:** ![CaveMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cavemike/32/16379_2.png) [@CaveMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaveMike)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2023, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/833 "2023-06-30T04:51:10Z")
I take the claim to mean the balloon was not able to ‘phone home’ any data (as opposed to not being able to collect any). Starting around post #375 there was a discussion about claims the military was jamming the balloon and a debate about how effective that would be. I didn’t go back and reread the thread, but I think there was a claim that the military flew a jamming plane above the balloon. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2023, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/834 "2023-06-30T11:27:14Z")
That would be my take. Given the low-ish power requirements for a solar-powered balloon, it’s be relatively easy to put a much more powerful noise jammer over / near it and interrupt the datacomms. Although how DoD could know for sure they’d interrupted the comm link is an open question. If there was any other intel that told them what sorts of signals the Chinese were listening for, DoD could certainly have done some EMCON to shut off various emitters while the balloon was close enough to detect [whatever]. There’s nothing critical to DoD communications that doesn’t have alternates and backups. The nuke forces are especially set up with belt, suspenders, an extra rope, some bailing wire, and a tin can. All the above, plus some convenient public face-saving for DoD that may or may not be 100% truthful is probably the best answer we’re ever going to get. ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2023, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/835 "2023-06-30T11:36:04Z")
Talking of Chinese spy balloons, they had also been flying over Japan and Taiwan. Japan says it will shoot them down in future. > **[New images show Chinese spy balloons over Asia](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-65972168)** > > BBC Panorama worked with an artificial intelligence company to sift through millions of satellite pictures. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2023, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/836 "2023-06-30T12:24:54Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > The nuke forces are especially set up with belt, suspenders, an extra rope, some bailing wire, and a tin can. You forgot the parachute, spit, duct tape, and rivets for that. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2023, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/837 "2023-06-30T12:31:49Z")
Yeah. They tried carrier pigeons, but discovered that EMP confused their little compasses. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2023, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/838 "2023-06-30T12:35:46Z")
They took measures, like jamming, that would have prevented intelligence-gathering or communication, if it was attempting those things. But it turns out that it wasn’t doing those things anyway, so the measures taken were unnecessary. I don’t see any conflict, there. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2023, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/839 "2023-06-30T12:43:53Z")
Cool. I’m not disputing you, but do you have any cites about any analysis of the balloon’s capabilities. Hoping to learn a bit more about them. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2023, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/840 "2023-07-01T18:31:30Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > Someone help me out here. The Chinese went to great pains to create something that navigated thousands of miles and was able to steer over sensitive areas of the country and it wasn’t involved in spying. Yah. The register is coming up No Sale on that one. ---
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2023, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228/841 "2023-07-01T20:52:26Z")
> [@CaveMike](#): > > I take the claim to mean the balloon was not able to ‘phone home’ any data (as opposed to not being able to collect any). That’s the thing though. Jammers operate against receivers, not transmitters. So unless they were RF scanning the balloon and then blasting noise on whatever frequencies it was using, the jammer theory doesn’t really hold up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228.md?page=41) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pentagon-is-tracking-a-chinese-spy-balloon/979228.md?page=43)