Did you read the article including the quotes I highlighted?
In the intel arena there is value in ‘observing’ an active foreign asset.
Furthermore I am confident certain tools were employed to prevent it from collecting and transferring quality intel.
Thirdly, if you’d like to collect and analyze several million dollars worth of PRC intel gear, it’ll be a lot more intact after a water impact than hitting the ground. Also there IS the possibility of damage and injury across the debris field, which includes rocket parts and the warhead rods.
The administration handled this poorly. The military did not.
Your OPINION may vary, but the facts do not.
“Furthermore I am confident certain tools were employed to prevent it from collecting and transferring quality intel.”
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What I understand was the order was given to these sites being surveilled to go silent so there would be no communications to be gathered.
That’s a far cry from preventing it from collecting and transferring quality intel. The spy balloon was obviously still able to receive and transmit data as it was still able to be steered/maneuvered.
I wish I had you level of faith in our military and intelligence community, but we have Generals who are bombastic that they would inform China if our Commander-in-Chief was going to “get out of hand.”
While the military may still be somewhat competent, I would be absolutely shocked if they made the effort to jam any and all signals this thing was sending to its controllers as that would have involved signal jamming on an large scale as well as potentially attempting to interfere with non rf communication methods as well
The article is filled with self-serving claims interspersed with a factoid here and there. Another example of spin, created at the direction of political leadership. Disinformation and ass covering - well known tactics of the bureaucracy. Gotta keep those defense dollars flowing. Nice try though.