Look Up! Chinese Spy Balloon overhead

[kbaxter60]

The ASM-135A ASAT program ended in 1988. And the balloon might be a few miles too low for that missile...

Vought ASM-135A Anti-Satellite Missile

The ASM-135A anti-satellite missile (ASAT) was the only U.S. air-launched missile ever to destroy a satellite. In the late 1970s, the U.S. anticipated Soviet development of “killer satellites” that

www.nationalmuseum.af.mil

An AMRAAM could hit it from a few miles below off an F-15 (or from the same altitude launched from an F-22) but...I don't know if anyone has any idea if the balloon would cause the warhead to detonate.

So, again, my question is CAN we?

As for WILL we, I have grave doubts .

 

[Renegade]

The only thing we've got that can fly up in that thin air is the F-22, because the trust vectoring engines give it the ability to maneuver. F-15s top out around 50k, and that's a couple of miles lower than the balloon. So the Oregon ANG couldn't have touched it, and helicopters or rednecks in Cessnas will have no chance to take a shot.

But...I see no logical reason to allow it to remain unmolested. As Oldag said, seems like a good use of a laser. Either put a small puncture in the balloon itself, or damage the payload so it can't continue gathering whatever intel they're gathering.

China's Spy Balloon Over Montana Is Part Of A Larger, More Troubling Pattern

The Pentagon says Chinese balloons have flown over the U.S. multiple times before and other peculiar incidents point to a much wider issue.

www.thedrive.com

F-15 can get that high.

 

[General Zod]

F-15 can get that high.

In a zoom climb. It can't cruise that high.

 

[Vaquero]

We need Maverick in an FA 18

 

[popper]

""potential second incident” related to the discovery of a massive Chinese balloon over Montana that the Communist Party claimed had drifted off course and coincidentally landed near American military sites of high importance."
from Breitbart. Hmmm.
Canadian Gov or ours can't get story straight?

 

[Renegade]

In a zoom climb. It can't cruise that high.

I dunno but a friend who flew F-15C in Desert Storm says no problem and no zoom climb needed. Said biggest issue was making sure pressure system worked or you were dead.

Said typical mission profile would be light load, refuel at 25k and then go up.

 

[kbaxter60]

I dunno but a friend who flew F-15C in Desert Storm says no problem and no zoom climb needed. Said biggest issue was making sure pressure system worked or you were dead.

Said typical mission profile would be light load, refuel at 25k and then go up.

Okay, let's try SOMETHING. If we fail, the Chicoms don't need to know.

 

[Grumps21]

Well, let’s see. We established on the Ukraine thread that the mil equipment we are sending is mothballed and obsolete munitions. Surely we have some old cold war ICBMs with warheads removed tucked away in some of those old silos that could be used to puncture the balloon. Wouldn’t they get high enough?

 

[2ManyGuns]

Just my conspiracy oriented mind, dirty payload, gets caught by winds and spread over the US. Contaminate a large area, might just be something we are not aware of.

 

[popper]

High flying jet with a big payload of aluminized spray paint. Paint that sucker to short out the antennas and blind the cameras! Accepted airspace over US is 98k ft. Above that you are possibly getting a 'space flight' complaint if attacked.

 

[General Zod]

I dunno but a friend who flew F-15C in Desert Storm says no problem and no zoom climb needed. Said biggest issue was making sure pressure system worked or you were dead.

Said typical mission profile would be light load, refuel at 25k and then go up.

Well, I guess the Air Force didn't know what they were doing when they tasked a pair of F-22's out of Nellis to inspect it rather than F-15s from closer bases that wouldn't have required a tanker. If only they had you to plan their missions for them.

 

[striker55]

Just another distraction so the news can get off the document's.

 

[General Zod]

Well, let’s see. We established on the Ukraine thread that the mil equipment we are sending is mothballed and obsolete munitions. Surely we have some old cold war ICBMs with warheads removed tucked away in some of those old silos that could be used to puncture the balloon. Wouldn’t they get high enough?

ICBM's aren't the same as surface to air missiles. They target geographic locations, not objects moving in the atmosphere.

And even if your plan was feasible, in the weeks it would take to clear an active silo of its missile (because they don't store decommissioned missiles in silos, active or not), load an old ICBM into it, make sure all of its systems were even still functional and none had been removed to keep other missiles in working order, then fuel it, look for fuel leaks, and get it ready to launch, the balloon will likely be long gone.

 

[Renegade]

Well, I guess the Air Force didn't know what they were doing when they tasked a pair of F-22's out of Nellis to inspect it rather than F-15s from closer bases that wouldn't have required a tanker. If only they had you to plan their missions for them.

ROFL

So one conversation with an F-15C pilot and suddenly I am a Mission Planner?

We have lots of A/C that can take it down. Not sure how you connect my pointing out one of them, based on talking an actual pilot, translates to USAF not knowing what they are doing.

And tankers (as well as AWACS) have been moved into the area.

 

[Renegade]

Looks like it might be as low as 50k now:

 

[General Zod]

Looks like it might be as low as 50k now:

Wonderful. A few thousand more feet and it'll be a hazard to air traffic. Maybe then they'll finally take the damn thing down. Maybe they'll wait till an Apache can get it.

 

[Vaquero]

Are we talking about biden?

 

[toddnjoyce]

Wonderful. A few thousand more feet and it'll be a hazard to air traffic. Maybe then they'll finally take the damn thing down. Maybe they'll wait till an Apache can get it.

FAA will just NOTAM it or TFR it. Best case is it hita the surface on US soil without us having done anything to cause it.

Then we’ll simply take our time inspecting, fondling, and exploiting the thing before we maybe give it back to the Chinese with some malicious code inserted in it.

 

[General Zod]

FAA will just NOTAM it or TFR it. Best case is it hita the surface on US soil without us having done anything to cause it.

Then we’ll simply take our time inspecting, fondling, and exploiting the thing before we maybe give it back to the Chinese with some malicious code inserted in it.

Nah, the Biden Administration will pack it up carefully and present it back to China with apologies for our country being underneath it.

 

[TxPython357]

I have no doubt we have the capability to pop the Chinese balloon. I am guessing the "Big Guy" got his 10% this month.