Pentagon says another Chinese spy balloon is traveling over Latin America

Let's go to Jen Griffin, FOX.

Q: Thank you very much. What do you think the target of this balloon was? And has this ever happened before that you've seen either a Chinese surveillance balloon or another country's surveillance balloon over the United States, or is this the first time?

SENIOR DEFENSE OFFICIAL: Yes, so, I mean, it is a surveillance balloon. And not to be -- I'm not trying to be a wiseguy. But the goal is surveillance. And clearly they're trying to fly this -- this balloon over sensitive sites, one of which was just mentioned, to collect information. As I said, we do not judge that it provides significant value added over and above what they can currently collect in other means. But nevertheless, it's something we're watching closely.

Is it the first time. It is not the first time that you had a balloon of this nature cross over the continental United States. It has happened a handful of other times over the past few years, to include before this administration.

 

we shot it down

at least this one, not sure about the last 4, 1 under Biden and 3 under Trump

that said, we have not analyzed the balloon yet to determine if it's a spy balloon or a scientific one

 

What's your balloon cap? Are we going to allow a dozen of these things just hanging out over our country?

 

You must have heard a commentator by now explain how the data gleaned from a balloon can be superior to satellites, in quality, cost, and convenience.

For some reason, the first thing that popped in my mind when I heard of this balloon over South America was some sort of mineral deposit detection technology. But who knows what they are up to? Not us, ever, probably.

 

My nation has the capability to develop a hook and drag system that can take one of these down intact. And if by chance we've already slid into bureaucratic impotence, and we can't, maybe Elon can figure it out if this balloon thing becomes common.

 

If it is true Trump was president when a Chinese balloon flew over the US we all know the Democrats would have been all over this at the time it happened. This is very questionable considering how partisans went after Trump for just about anything they could accuse him of.

 

Intelligence gathering is multi-faceted. Lower flying balloon can see things differently than higher flying satellites. Sounds can be picked up. In this case using a balloon would show the weakness in our defense system. Is NORAND looking for balloons? Or just jets and missiles? Is a balloons soft surface barely detectable by radar? I believe there are plenty of good reasons to use a balloon to spy on a country. The balloon going over the Colombia was just tracked as ours was when it was "first?" spotted over Montana. The US probably wouldn't have shot it down if a civilian in a private aircraft flying at the same altitude as the balloon hadn't reported it to the FAA.

 

The US has been in bureaucratic impotence for quite some time now.

 

We shot it down… Lmao we shot it down after they allowed it to collect information, and likely sensitive information as well. But hey it’s okay cause three were here during Trump (something that former Defense Secretary Mark Esper and former Secretary of Defense Mike Pompeo both deny). No this is not excusable. Biden let this thing fly for two days before shooting it down. I think it’s clear that it was either Biden or Biden’s military that had a very big hand in allowing this. There needs to be an investigation to find out who exactly it was that took chinas interests over American interests.

 

So this was 4th balloon (3 during Trump). What info can a balloon collect that you cant collect with Google Earth? And what is there in Latin America for them to see?

 

It cannot be grabbed

 

there are literally thousands ballons lunch every day by commerical, countries etc etc. u gonna over react to every single ones. china probably get more info from tiktok than a ballon. ballon goes where the wind take it.