Posted on 02/05/2023 9:42:41 PM PST by bitt
United States government officials have confirmed that a third Chinese spy balloon has been identified in the skies but are refusing to reveal the craft’s location.
The news comes after the U.S. military used an F-22 Raptor to take out a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday, as Slay News reported.
The U.S. Air Force used a single air-to-air A9X sidewinder missile fired at an altitude of approximately 58,000 feet to down the balloon.
The decision to shoot down the spy balloon came after Democrat President Joe Biden allowed it to fly thousands of miles over the continental U.S. during the last several days.
The Pentagon admitted in a statement that the Biden administration was aware that the balloon was gathering data but didn’t reveal what information it was collecting.
The Washington Post reported that the U.S. officials have identified “a third operating elsewhere,” but they declined to give the balloon’s location.
An official told the Post that Beijing was embarrassed by the incident.
“They’re in a very tough place,” the official said.
“And they have very few cards to play right now.”
The second Chinese spy balloon was detected over South America earlier this week, according to U.S. military officials.
(Excerpt) Read more at slaynews.com ...
$382,069 to be accurate:
“Each Sidewinder is about 188 pounds and costs $381,069. The AIM-9A, a prototype of the Sidewinder, was first fired successfully in September 1953.”
Bkmk
As if none of our thousands of international airline pilots would spot it? Nothing goes on in the sky that they don’t know about in about 10 seconds.
The balloons are way above normal air traffic. or should be.
I think DOD is scared too many people are looking up and seeing our own balloons spying on us.
They are most likely not Chinese, but our own assets. Saying they are Chinese is an attempt at deflection.
Which in turn is only going to cause more panic.
Is CHASE DOAK, the reporter that first spotted the balloon and his photographer STILL ALIVE?????
It should have been shot down the moment it approached Alaska. We have the dumbest morons imaginable in the military.
They used the sidewinder to destroy the intel package. Wouldn’t want the public to know what the Chinese are up to.
Aren't there any Freepers left who understand military subjects?
1. A Sidewinder is a heat-seeking missile: it guides on the heat signature of a jet engine's exhaust. Balloons don't have a jet engine. What in hades was a sidewinder supposed to guide on?
2. Sidewinders are expensive, cannon shells aren't. Gunning the balloon would've been extremely simple and cheap.
WTF?
You will note that so-called knowledgeable government officials never talk on-the-record. Nonetheless, without a blink the corrupt media accepts their statements.
You will note that so-called knowledgeable government officials never talk on-the-record. Nonetheless, without a blink the corrupt media accepts their statements.
Call it a Bioweapon Balloon.
air-to-air A9X sidewinder missile cost $381,000
There is another one over Cyprus. I have a friend whose daughter lives there.
“ Corrupt as can be.
Anyways, if they tell us where the third Chinese probe is, everyone who sees the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh will think it must be just the third. ”
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BINGO!! I can think of no more logical reason.
Evidently the sidewinder can use some other type of navigation to hit the balloon because it worked
Balloon #1 shut down 3 airports so I’m watching flightradar
It is likely that the Chinese would have the ability to destroy their own system to prevent capture and exploitation.
Again, the only guidance system for any Sidewinder (or the Russian copy, the Atoll) is an infrared heat-seeking system and it would be worthless against a low-emission target like the balloon.
A Sparrow - a radar-guided system - maybe.
Here’s a video you might be interested in, it’s from Ward Carroll a former F-14 Tomcat pilot, talking about this issue.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2xz21HvLs8&t=320s
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