Chinese Spy Balloon

haha ...SMH

The Wise And Powerful wrote:

In rare unanimous vote, House condemns China
US House votes to condemn China over balloon surveillance
ASSOCIATED PRESS, LISA MASCARO
Thu, February 9, 2023 at 9:55 AM MST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House voted unanimously Thursday to condemn China's balloon surveillance program as a “brazen violation” of U.S. sovereignty, a rare and swift bipartisan rebuke of Beijing as questions mount about the craft the U.S. says was part of a vast aerial spy program.

The 419-0 action came as lawmakers clamoring for information about the balloon that flew across American skies were being briefed by U.S. officials in a classified session. The Senate also held a hearing Thursday about the balloon, which was shot down by the U.S. military last weekend.

“This resolution, I believe, sends a clear bipartisan signal to the CCP and our adversaries around the world that this action will not be tolerated,” said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, referring to the Chinese Communist Party.

In a Congress riven by partisan splits, the shared anxiety over China's stealthy balloon surveillance program and the reach of the Beijing's global military and economic force provided an unusual opening for bipartisan agreement. The four-page resolution came together quickly, overcoming initial partisan divisions.

The top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs panel, Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, said China “needs to come clean” about its surveillance activities. “It is now up to Beijing to demonstrate not just to the United States but to the world that it is serious about respecting international rules and law,” he said.

The balloon flew from Alaska to the Atlantic Coast, but the U.S. didn't shoot it down until it was over the Atlantic, off South Carolina. That decision sparked bipartisan concerns, questions and outrage, some of it directed at President Joe Biden for not acting sooner. But the GOP-led House set criticism of Biden aside for now and focused instead on the People's Republic of China.

While it doesn't carry the force of law, the resolution approved by the House stands as an expression of concern as Congress delves into questions about the balloon and China's surveillance activity.

Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., who chaired a Senate subcommittee hearing Thursday on the balloon, said earlier this week he wanted to know where "exactly it flew — particularly in Montana because I’m very familiar with where the (missile) silos are — and questions like, Did it have capability to hover?”

Congress has been delving into such questions since the balloon captured America's attention late last week, refocusing lawmakers on China.

“There are very few bipartisan issues in Washington these days, but our national concern about the PRC is one of them,” said retired U.S. Navy Adm. Harry Harris in testimony this week before the House Armed Services Committee.

“Make no mistake, that balloon was intentionally launched as a calculated show of force,” said Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chair of the House Armed Services Committee, during Tuesday's hearing. “We have to stop being naïve about the threat we face from China.”

FBI Finds New Information About Chinese Spy Balloon
Nikki Main, Gizmodo
Thu, February 9, 2023 at 3:15 PM MST

We’re learning new information about the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that was shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Saturday. A State Department spokesperson said the balloon was able to collect communications and data via a satellite and had “multiple antennas” in addition to other equipment used “clearly for intelligence surveillance,” Axios reported.

“We know the PRC (People’s Republic of China) used these balloons for surveillance,” the official said, adding, “High-resolution imagery from U-2 flybys revealed that the high-altitude balloon was capable of conducting signals intelligence collection operations.”

The alleged surveillance balloon was recovered from the sea after being shot down and is now at an FBI lab in Quantico, Virginia where authorities are analyzing the wreckage to determine what information China had received before it was destroyed. An official told CNN that the FBI had only received debris recovered from the ocean’s surface and included the “canopy itself, the wiring, and then a very small amount of electronics.” Large solar panels were also found on the balloon which government officials say could power “active intelligence collection sensors.”

First starting in Alaska and Canada, the balloon made its way to Montana across the U.S., in a flight pattern that authorities say brought them directly over a nuclear missile site that hosts the U.S. Strategic Command and a military base that holds the B-2 stealth bomber.

“If you ask somebody to draw an X at every place where our sensitive missile defense sites, our nuclear weapons infrastructure, our nuclear weapon sites are, you would put them all along this path,” Rep. Mike Turner, the Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said on NBC News’ Meet the Press.

Chinese authorities initially claimed the balloon was used for weather research and had blown off course, but the FBI’s findings enhanced the strains between U.S. and China relations. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was scheduled to travel to China last week for a high-stakes meeting but canceled after the spy balloon made headway across the U.S.

Authorities were told that the balloon was deployed without Chinese President Xi Jinping’s knowledge, sources familiar with the matter told CNN, but it remains unclear what China hoped to achieve.

A State Department official told the outlet that China “has overflown these surveillance balloons over more than 40 countries across five continents,” adding, “the Biden Administration is reaching out to countries directly about the scope of this program and answer any questions.”

Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman spoke at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Thursday, saying this sets a precedent for China, and shows they are not committed to having peaceful relations.

“This irresponsible act put on full display what we’ve long recognized,” Sherman said. “That the PRC has become more repressive at home and more aggressive abroad.”

A Third Chinese Spy Balloon Likely Discovered By U.S. Officials Who Don’t Reveal Its Location
CF.ORG | Published 5 days ago on February 5, 2023 By Chief Editor

U.S. officials reportedly believe that they have identified a third Chinese spy balloon that is likely operating in the air right now, but they did not reveal its 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 using a single air-to-air A9X sidewinder missile fired at an altitude of approximately 58,000 feet. The decision to shoot down the spy balloon came after President Joe Biden allowed it to fly thousands of miles over the continental U.S. during the last several days.

The Washington Post reported that the U.S. officials believe that there is “likely 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 last week, according to U.S. military officials.

“We are seeing reports of a balloon transiting Latin America,” Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement. “We now assess it is another Chinese surveillance balloon.”

China was furious after the balloon was shot down, claiming that it was “a clear overreaction and a serious violation of international practice,” and that it reserves “the right to make further responses if necessary.”

“China expresses its strong dissatisfaction and protest against the US’s use of force to attack civilian unmanned aircraft,” a statement said. “The Chinese side has repeatedly informed the US side after verification that the airship is for civilian use and entered the US due to force majeure – it was completely an accident.”

“China clearly asked the US to handle it properly in a calm, professional and restrained manner. A spokesman for the US Department of Defense also stated that the balloon will not pose a military or personal threat to ground personnel,” the Chinese concluded. “China will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of relevant companies, while reserving the right to make further necessary reaction.”

Chinese spy craft payload located off waters of South Carolina, mostly intact: US official
February 10, 2023

The payload of the Chinese spy balloon has been found in waters off the coast of South Carolina, a U.S. official tells Fox News.

The payload was originally about the size of a bus and remains mostly intact since the balloon was shot down by U.S. military fighter jets, the official said.

Bad weather will delay the search for debris. Rainfall and winds traveling at 29 to 35 mph are expected to affect the debris field. “Strong winds will cause hazardous seas which could capsize or damage vessels and reduce visibility,” according to the gale warning.

”The recovery operation is ongoing, and by operation we include ship movements to/from the site as well as activities on site and security of the site,” the senior military official said. “The weather is impacting operations below the surface for a short period, so we’re conducting offload and resupply in the interim. US Coast Guard ships remain on site for security. The HOS Rosebud will assist in the recovery operation in the coming days.”

Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder is expected to provide updates on the recovery effort at 2 p.m. ET on Friday.

White House tells governors ‘thousands’ of objects in the skies aren’t aliens, could be used car lot balloons
February 14, 2023

White House officials were adamant in a virtual briefing with governors on Monday that flying objects recently spotted over North America are not of extraterrestrial origin, according to a recording of the briefing obtained by Fox News Digital.

“There are no UFOs. This is not an invasion of the aliens,” White House Homeland Security Adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall told governors on the half-hour call. “I mean it’s funny, but it’s not funny, because people are communicating this on platforms that are widely viewed, and it’s creating fear that is unnecessary.”

The briefing came after three flying objects were shot down over North America last weekend, including one over northeastern Alaska on Friday, one over Canada’s Yukon territory on Saturday, and one over Lake Huron on Sunday.

Gen. Glen VanHerck, who leads NORAD and the U.S. Northern Command, raised eyebrows after the third object was shot down on Sunday when he said that he hasn’t “ruled out anything,” including potentially aliens.

Despite that, other White House officials have also dialed back the potential for an extraterrestrial link, with National Security Council spokesman John Kirby saying Monday that he doesn’t think “the American people need to worry about aliens with respect to these craft.”

While the objects may not be evidence of life on other planets, the government doesn’t currently know what they are, and there are likely far more of them than was previously understood.

“We are dealing with a number of objects that are not well characterized,” Sherwood-Randall told governors on Monday.

“It’s true that there are things that are being identified that don’t resemble anything else, that largely don’t present a threat, and we have to figure out what to do about them. And it turns out, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of them.”

Most of the objects are likely innocuous, Sherwood-Randall added, ranging from “used car lot balloons” to aircraft launched by commercial enterprises.

National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan announced an interagency task force to study the flying objects this week.

Recovery teams are currently working to retrieve the three objects shot down over North America. The most recent one shot down on Sunday had an “octagonal” shape with strings hanging off and was flying at about 20,000 feet, potentially making it a danger to civilian aircraft.

The object shot down over the Yukon territory was described as “cylindrical” in shape by Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand.

“Across all of the objects over the weekend, there are certain similarities in terms of characteristics or size but they are all unique and different in their own way,” a senior U.S. defense official told Fox News on Tuesday, noting that they could be anything from “sky trash” to “weather experiments.”

All three objects were much smaller than the 200-foot tall Chinese surveillance balloon that was shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4.

A 30-foot section of that balloon’s payload was recovered by U.S. forces off the ocean floor this week.

Wowser..

i LURVED watching The Prisoner. GREAT SERIES!!!

Pentagon releases pilot's close-up photo of Chinese balloon
Associated Press
TARA COPP
February 22, 2023, 2:48 PM



In this image released by the Department of Defense on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, a U.S. Air Force U-2 pilot looks down at a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon as it hovers over the United States on Feb. 3, 2023. (Department of Defense via AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

WASHINGTON (AP) — A U-2 pilot flying high above the Chinese spy balloon took a close-up photo of the large white orb just a day before the Air Force shot it down off the South Carolina coast.

The photo shows the top of the pilot's helmet inside the U-2 cockpit with the balloon flying below. It was taken Feb. 3 as the balloon “hovered over the Central Continental United States,” according to the caption provided by the Defense Department. The Pentagon released the image Wednesday, more than two weeks after the balloon made international headlines as it transited the United States.

The balloon was downed on Feb. 4 by an F-22 fighter jet firing a AIM-9X Sidewinder missile. The strike took place once the balloon was no longer over land but was still within U.S. territorial waters.

The U-2 Dragon Lady is a high altitude U.S. spy plane that has been in service since the 1950s.

The Pentagon announced last Friday that Navy ships and submersibles had completed recovery of the massive balloon and its payload, which fell in pieces into the Atlantic Ocean. The payload was recovered from the ocean floor and is being analyzed by the FBI, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said Wednesday.

The shootdown led to three other smaller objects also being shot down by Air Force jets within a period of eight days: one over Alaska, one over Canada and one over Lake Huron. Searches for the Alaska and Lake Huron objects have ended.

Quote :

Searches for the Alaska and Lake Huron objects have ended.

"Ended"? .. So IOW they can't find the fuk'n things? .. I find that kinda hard to believe..