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Top general admits NORAD failed to detect earlier Chinese spy balloons in U.S. air space
Just the News ^ | Updated: February 6, 2023 - 7:11pm | John Solomon

Posted on 02/06/2023 4:34:06 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum

Article Dig In The Air Force general charged with protecting America's air space from hostile threats acknowledged Monday that the U.S. military failed to detect some previous incursions by Chinese spy balloons, calling it a troubling "awareness gap" that needed fixing.

"We had gaps on prior balloons," Air Force Gen. Glen VanHerck told reporters.

The comment by the North American Aerospace Defense Command commander both raised concern about NORAD's vaunted ability to detect airspace threats and also undercut a bungled weekend effort by the Biden administration to try to suggest former President Donald Trump failed to react to three incursions on his watch.

In fact, VanHerck told reporters during a Pentagon briefing, the Trump administration wasn't told about the incursions because NORAD missed them and that they only recently were detected after the fact by U.S. intelligence agencies.

"I will tell you that we did not detect those threats. And that's a domain awareness gap that we have to figure out," he said, declining to be more specific about how earlier flyovers of Chinese spy balloons were missed.

He explained in general terms how the prior incursions were discovered. "The intel community, after the fact... made us aware of those balloons that were previously approaching North America or transited North America," he said.

VanHerck said the military deliberately moved slowly on downing the the most recent spy balloon after discovering it hovering near the Aleutian Islands of Alaska on Jan. 28. He said officials determined it posed no immediate threat of attack, and allowed it to maneuver across the United States while blocking its ability to collect sensitive data so that the military could learn how it missed the earlier spy balloons and how they worked.

(Excerpt) Read more at justthenews.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Crime/Corruption; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: ballongate; balloongap; norad
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1 posted on 02/06/2023 4:34:06 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

2 posted on 02/06/2023 4:38:17 PM PST by Magnum44 (...against all enemies, foreign and domestic... )
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To: Magnum44

Your woke, worthless military in action.


3 posted on 02/06/2023 4:40:44 PM PST by joma89 (Buy weapons and ammo, folks, and have the will to use them.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Boy do I feel secure about our ability to fight a nuclear war.


4 posted on 02/06/2023 4:40:54 PM PST by HighSierra5 (The only way you know a commie is lying is when they open their pieholes.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Nena’s, “99 Luftbaloons,” turns out to be not just a snappy 80’s euro-dance hit, but a bit prophetic as well...


5 posted on 02/06/2023 4:46:00 PM PST by Joe 6-pack
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Bunk.

Primary target of that size shows up not just on ordinary FAA ARTCC radars but air defense radars and other sensors all across the EM spectrum.

A lizard doesnt cross US borders that isnt either tracked or is trackable.

And there’s nothing stealthy about the hunk of junk hung below the bag of that thing - it looks like a weird copy of an old MILSTAR bus.

This guy is doing CYA for the Thief in Chief.


6 posted on 02/06/2023 4:46:03 PM PST by Regulator (It's fraud, Jim)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

“A suspected Chinese surveillance balloon shot down off the US coast was about 200 ft (60m) tall and carrying an airliner-sized load, officials say. At a briefing on Monday, a US defense official said the size and make-up of the object informed the decision not to shoot it down while it was over land.”

Buuuuut they “missed” detecting it.

However FAA can fine you $25,000.00 for not flying an eight inch drone correctly.

.


7 posted on 02/06/2023 4:48:22 PM PST by TLI (ITINERIS IMPENDEO VALHALLA)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

“Um, well look, if we built this large, wooden badger.”


8 posted on 02/06/2023 4:49:51 PM PST by RckyRaCoCo (Please Pray For My Brother Ken.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

It probably launched from CFB Suffield in southern Alberta. I think US should invade.


9 posted on 02/06/2023 4:50:41 PM PST by Bulwyf
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Tricky word speak there. If there were no balloons the statement is true but tone leaves doubt that there were balloons. Obama generals worshipping at Bidens fly.


10 posted on 02/06/2023 4:51:46 PM PST by RetiredTexasVet (Biden not only suffers fools and criminals, he appoints them to positions of responsibility. )
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
I KNEW they were spending too much time tracking Santa Claus!

-PJ

11 posted on 02/06/2023 4:52:26 PM PST by Political Junkie Too ( * LAAP = Left-wing Activist Agitprop Press (formerly known as the MSM))
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
Trump left office two years ago, yet neither during his time in office nor the last two years were there reports about balloons, yet after a week of Biden taking incoming, the military suddenly "pieces together" that Trump had balloons 5 years ago?


12 posted on 02/06/2023 4:52:46 PM PST by conservative98
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
"We had gaps on prior balloons”

Mr.President, we can’t allow for a balloon coverage gap !

13 posted on 02/06/2023 4:54:26 PM PST by csvset (tolerance becomes a crime when attached to evil)
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To: HighSierra5

Boy do I feel secure about our ability to fight a nuclear war.


Don’t be so silly. We’ll all be in re-education camps, or death camps for the difficult types, before the first microton detonation.


14 posted on 02/06/2023 4:55:59 PM PST by nesnah (Infringe - act so as to limit or undermine [something]; encroach on)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

NORAD might not have detected it but NRO knew all about it.


15 posted on 02/06/2023 4:56:48 PM PST by steve86 (Numquam accusatus, numquam ad curiam ibit, numquam ad carcerem™)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

It’s nice to know that our military, when they aren’t flat-out missing threats, bring up or withhold knowledge of them based on who’s in office. /S


16 posted on 02/06/2023 4:57:17 PM PST by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
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To: Magnum44

maybe there weren’t any!


17 posted on 02/06/2023 4:57:22 PM PST by ThePatriotsFlag (When Ashli Babbitt’s video-taped murderer Michael Byrd is indicted, I’ll start paying attention.)
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To: Regulator

You’re forgetting the constant orbiting satellite constellations (plural)


18 posted on 02/06/2023 4:57:37 PM PST by gr8eman (Abortion! It's just a murderous ghoul thing!)
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The lies from these idiots keep getting more brazen and stupid.


19 posted on 02/06/2023 4:57:50 PM PST by rxh4n1
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To: Bulwyf

Just curious...anything up north about the Canadian Air Force having spotted the balloon?


20 posted on 02/06/2023 4:58:21 PM PST by Gay State Conservative (No Doubt Now: Stolen Election)
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