“Why didn’t Biden stop them while they were over the Pacific?”
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Because: it flew at an extremely high altitude (50,000+ feet), doesn’t have much of a radar signature, and it was problematic as to exactly how to shoot it down. Plus, you have to consider: Does China have the right to fly a balloon over international waters? Is it that much different than a cargo ship being in international waters?
Plus, it was likely moving at over 100 mph for much of its journey, not just wafting around like some kid’s toy balloon:
https://www.ventusky.com/?p=33;-99;1&l=wind-200hpa
It doesn’t have much of a radar signature out over the middle of the ocean, sure, but it was surely detected and tracked. Using sequential photographs taken in various wavelengths by spy satellites, AI systems pour over the the images pixel by pixel looking for changed aspects caused by floating or airborne objects moving from one frame to the next. They might not have known what it was at first but surely knew about it.
Looking at the payload truss structure and attached solar panels, I'll bet it looks like a flaming barn door on radar.
“Because: it flew at an extremely high altitude (50,000+ feet), doesn’t have much of a radar signature,”
The news is reporting the payload size was the size of a jetliner.
If a radar system can’t detect something as large as a commercial jetliner, it’s a cause for concern. This is because commercial jetliners are significantly larger in length and wingspan than nuclear missiles, which are compact and highly maneuverable, and typically have a much smaller mass.
The effectiveness of our missile defense system is called into question if we can’t bring down a balloon with a payload the size of a commercial jetliner. Is the USA a paper tiger now?
So our systems can’t detect a 200 ft tall baloon carrying a 2000 lb payload? If this is correct, China owns our airspace. Pretty sure the U2 and SR-7! Routinely fly at 60k to 80k ceiling.
(50,000+ feet)
And 100+ mph?
Right at the edge of the service ceiling. I’ll bet Jewbacca could have slowed down to have made a strafing pass at 1,000 yards and done it in with 20mm.
Just a few holes. 😬😂
BUT I don’t know what airspeed is required to keep an F-16 aloft at that altitude.
That's like saying that if China shoots an ICBM at us, we have no right to try to shoot it down until it enters US airspace.