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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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To: Regulator
This guy is doing CYA for the Thief in Chief.

I agree. They'll say anything to deflect bad news about Brandon's administration to Trump.

21 posted on 02/06/2023 5:00:14 PM PST by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
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To: HighSierra5

Don’t worry - you will never know what hit you


22 posted on 02/06/2023 5:01:39 PM PST by EC Washington
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To: gr8eman

Covered that with the “EM spectrum” comment...


23 posted on 02/06/2023 5:02:16 PM PST by Regulator (It's fraud, Jim)
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To: Gay State Conservative

“Oh, we thought you guys were on it, eh? DEW Line an’ all that.”


24 posted on 02/06/2023 5:03:47 PM PST by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
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To: Gay State Conservative

I didn’t hear that they did, and f-18s are always scrambling to go play with the Russian bombers, so I’m sure they’d see a damn balloon 200’ tall.


25 posted on 02/06/2023 5:09:37 PM PST by Bulwyf
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

The truth is out there, but we do not intend to find it.


26 posted on 02/06/2023 5:09:56 PM PST by TChad (Progressives are in favor of removing healthy sex organs from children. Conservatives oppose this.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
OK now, just to bring us all up to date, I see that the Chinese balloons penetrated U.S. air space three times during the Trump administration undetected, then they were detected but nobody told him because Orange Man Bad, then they were detected but nobody knew it until later, and now that they were only detected by intelligence agencies who failed to pass the word on to the DoD who didn't detect them. Until just now. When they detected them.

Man, am I glad they cleared that up.

27 posted on 02/06/2023 5:10:11 PM PST by Billthedrill
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To: Billthedrill

We gotta admire their professionalism…/s


28 posted on 02/06/2023 5:19:36 PM PST by telescope115 (My feet are on the ground, and my head is in the stars.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

If you didn’t detect them how do you know they were there?


29 posted on 02/06/2023 5:20:12 PM PST by gdzla (Tyrannis Seditio, Obsequium Deo)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

“ We had gaps on prior balloons,”

They have gaps between their ears


30 posted on 02/06/2023 5:21:10 PM PST by NWFree (Somebody has to say it 🤪)
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To: telescope115

Sleep well, America.


31 posted on 02/06/2023 5:21:56 PM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Regulator
This guy is doing CYA for the Thief in Chief.

Yep. He is close to retirement and does not wish to retire as a major general - big retirement hit!

32 posted on 02/06/2023 5:23:00 PM PST by 17th Miss Regt
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To: Bulwyf

So first Alaska...then Canada...and then down to the Lower 48. The Chinese sure got their money’s worth with *that* weather balloon.IIRC Montana and the Dakotas are where all the missile silos are.


33 posted on 02/06/2023 5:23:13 PM PST by Gay State Conservative (No Doubt Now: Stolen Election)
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To: Billthedrill

LOL!!!Give it to the chinks...they’re smart. If they launched balloons before and NORAD did not report it, there’s a record. If they did not....there’s no record. Lots of people are going to be looking for those records, if they exist, or not, and the whole sad US gov’t will be at each other’s throats!


34 posted on 02/06/2023 5:24:12 PM PST by gr8eman (Abortion! It's just a murderous ghoul thing!)
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To: Billthedrill

What d’you bet they were detected but it was agreed not to tell Pres. Trump. Why? Two possibilities: either they were worried Trump would react in a way they disapproved of, or they’re cooperating with the Chinese. This might explain Milley’s mysterious phonecall to his Communist Chinese counterpart.


35 posted on 02/06/2023 5:28:08 PM PST by Blurb2350 (posted from my 1500-watt blow dryer)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Screamin’ Mexican invaders and their allies freely charging across our border. Russian balloons floating over America. Meanwhile, O’Bama and Holder’s “17 intelligence communities” are still out there trying to overthrow President Trump. Dumbasses.


36 posted on 02/06/2023 5:28:23 PM PST by FlingWingFlyer (Remember what FJB Brandon said, "...more than half of the women in my administration are women.")
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To: Magnum44

We can fix this. Station some Airman in picnic chairs and have them look up! If you see a balloon the size of a football field in the sky, report it. We are depending on you!


37 posted on 02/06/2023 5:34:34 PM PST by bosco24
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

“We had gaps on prior balloons,”

there’s that DAMN BALLOON GAP again...

i mean for crying out loud, they track PAINT CHIPS IN SPACE!!!

WTAF???


38 posted on 02/06/2023 5:36:27 PM PST by Chode (there is no fall back position, there's no rally point, there is no LZ... we're on our own. #FJB)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

“ And that’s a domain awareness gap that we have to figure out.”

Ya think so?

L


39 posted on 02/06/2023 5:38:08 PM PST by Lurker (Peaceful coexistence with the Left is not possible. Stop pretending that it is.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

This MF is LYING.

This is beyond concerning. Treason at the very top of the military we pay for.


40 posted on 02/06/2023 5:41:30 PM PST by servantoftheservant
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