US destroys “Chinese” balloon over the Atlantic

What the hell was the payload if they needed to make sure it was over the ocean before they took it down?

FOX News:

The U.S. military has shot down the Chinese spy balloon over the Atlantic Ocean.

While the balloon was off the coast of South Carolina, the balloon was shot down by U.S. military fighter jets on Saturday afternoon, according to Fox News sources. 

A senior defense official said during a Thursday afternoon briefing that the U.S. government is “confident” the surveillance balloon is from the People’s Republic of China. 

Video at link. Shows falling white cloth, doesn’t say much else. Less in a way.

update: At 42:30 the balloon is destroyed but you don’t see how or by what. It just comes apart. Early in the video a military jet passes close to it. When they zoom out you see another jet which seems likely to have destroyed the balloon. Laser, missile or whatever.

About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

7 Replies to “US destroys “Chinese” balloon over the Atlantic”

  1. WAR MACHINE v BALLOONS
    The US empire has been surrounding China with military bases and war machinery for many years, in ways Washington would never tolerate China doing in the nations and waters surrounding the United States. So everyone’s losing their minds over a balloon that in all probability would be mostly worthless for spying, even while everyone knows the US spies on China at every possible opportunity. The US considers it its sovereign right to spy on any nation it chooses, and the average American tends more or less to see it the same way. It’s just taken as a given that spying on foreigners is fine, so it’s a bit silly to react melodramatically when foreigners return the favor. Now let’s contrast all this with another news story that’s getting a lot less attention.
    In an article titled “US secures deal on Philippines bases to complete arc around China,” the BBC reports that the empire will be adding even more installations to the already impressive military noose it has been constructing around the PRC. Yet we’re all meant to be freaking out about a balloon. These things are not equal. Maybe Americans should stop watching out for hostile foreign threats and start looking a little closer to home. Caitlin Johnstone
    https://consortiumnews.com/2023/02/04/caitlin-johnstone-war-machine-vs-balloons/

  2. The US tolerates thespies that China sends inside its borders, along with land and factory sales.

    Japan sent deadly balloon bombs to Oregon during WWII.Eventually, the US destroyed the factory producing them.

    Maybe this balloon trespasser has Biden videos, so would have embarrassed the family if it were shot down over the US

  3. LMFAO so your telling me that balloon flew across half the world / globe just to hover over good ole usa whahahahaha.
    Uhh we need a distraction to divert the public from our crimes against them .
    Oh look ppl a chinese balloon Fox News hahahahahahahahahah
    This is seriously beyond utterly ridiculous the sht they come up with .
    Ohh Russia bad Ohhh China bad Ohhh Korea bad Ohhh Gadaffi bad Ohhh Kim Yung ill bad ohh the list is endles.
    Meanwhille they are bombing the shit out of every countyry around the globe that doesnt follow their USA wants .
    Bombing for peace is like fucking for virginity trust me it doesnt work .
    Actually america pretty much behaves like islamists bombing the hell out off all then going we are bringing peace .

    • Go to North Korea and ask the people to share a meal to celebrate their future. It’s possible that they would prefer being bombed by the US. Survivors of Nazi Germany wish that they could have perished during American bombing of rail lines to Auschwitz. I expect that had there been survivirs, those at Sobibir and Trebkinka would have felt the same.

  4. These are Satellites, balloons .
    Nasa is thee worlds biggest or one of the biggest users of helium in the world.

    “September 25, 2014
    CONTRACT RELEASE C14-036
    NASA Awards Agency-wide Helium Contract
    NASA has awarded an agency-wide multiple award contract to Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. of Allentown, Pennsylvania, and Linde, LLC of Murray Hill, New Jersey, consolidating the agency’s requirements for 10.2 million liters of liquid helium and 128.6 million cubic feet of gaseous helium to support operations at 13 NASA locations.”

    https://www.nasa.gov/press/2014/september/nasa-awards-agency-wide-helium-contract/

    They claim its used for other things. We can trust them, they are a gov agency , very trust worthy of course.

  5. Not my field of expertise except
    The Japanese military used helium balloons to bomb Oregon during WWII. Time will tell if your hypothesis is correct. I don’t see evidence to support it.

    33 million liters of liquid helium to the agency’s Kennedy Space Center Nov 18, 2022
    https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-awards-contract-for-liquid-helium-acquisition-at-kennedy/

    https://www.nasa.gov/feature/helium-recapture-system-reclaims-hydrogen-for-industry-use 2015
    NASA requires bulk liquid helium to support a range of agency activities from Kennedy and nearby Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, including the International Space Station program as well as the Space Launch System and Orion programs that underpin Artemis, the agency’s missions to the Moon and Mars.