U.S. military shoots down suspected Chinese surveillance balloon • Hacker News Board

Re: U.S. military shoots down suspected Chinese surveillance balloon

#231

Post by kcb » Sun, Feb 05, 2023, 1:19 AM UTC

scotty79 wrote: post #167

sabujp wrote: post #146

Spy balloon cost : $3k - $50k , you can even buy them on alibaba and some other sites: https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/China-hot-sale-surveillance-balloon-with_60454941082.html https://www.made-in-china.com/showroom/jennerjiang/product-list/catalog-1.html?view=0 Cost to shoot down balloon with F22 $400k for the AIM-9X, ~$85k for 1 hour of flight time, so ~$400 - $500k to shoot down one balloon that cost < $50k

I guess China just discovered a strategy how to drain US of some resources. Just let out a lot of scientific baloons and let the dirft away.

I don't think anyone considers the expenditure of 1 AIM-9, probably the most ubiquitous A2A missile platform in history, a drain of resources.

Re: U.S. military shoots down suspected Chinese surveillance balloon

#232

Post by dahfizz » Sun, Feb 05, 2023, 1:19 AM UTC

hfbff wrote: post #180

yohanshi wrote: post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a taiwanese who lurks on hacker news for many years but when I saw this post I had to make an account. You are dead wrong, China is an enemy of the free world, pure and simple. South Koreans and Ukrainians would agree with me here. Especially since China has declared no limit friendship with russia

From your point of view, I can see how China is bad and the USA is good. But ask someone whose country got invaded by the USA or whose bloody dictator got supported by the USA. Over here in Latinamerica we still remember the horrible things that the USA did. It seems to me (but I could have a false perception) that China is a horrible bully in their corner of the world (nine dash line and, of course their will to inv…

Life isn't a marvel movie. There are no good guys and bad guys. The USA doesn't have to be "good" for China to be "bad".

Re: U.S. military shoots down suspected Chinese surveillance balloon

#233

Post by akomtu » Sun, Feb 05, 2023, 1:19 AM UTC

yohanshi wrote: post #158

pxc wrote: post #102

I am so tired of China being used to stoke American jingoism, of politicians making a contest of who is really 'tough on China' and, most horrifyingly, of seeing other USians online practically salivate as they fantasize about a war with China. It's some cold war boogieman horseshit. And it's depressing to watch here on Hacker News, too, any comments that question the beating of those war drums go dead. Yesterday I h…

As a taiwanese who lurks on hacker news for many years but when I saw this post I had to make an account. You are dead wrong, China is an enemy of the free world, pure and simple. South Koreans and Ukrainians would agree with me here. Especially since China has declared no limit friendship with russia

Has anyone noticed that the three dictators are named Putin Kim Xi? The dark overlord behind them all loves spicy food.

Re: U.S. military shoots down suspected Chinese surveillance balloon

#234

Post by LarryMullins » Sun, Feb 05, 2023, 1:20 AM UTC

unity1001 wrote: post #221

LarryMullins wrote: post #199

Earlier quoted context omitted.

America voted for a president who said he would, but then reneged on that promise. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/aug/31/obama-... Fuck you Obama!

Well. If the Americans at least showed the actual war criminals in their midst same rencor that they are exhibiting against concocted/alleged war criminals abroad, things could change. But they aren't. They aren't even using harsh language against them. Instead, they are directing all their ire and harshest words always against "others' crimes"...

Few people have harsher words for American politicians than Americans themselves. Hating whoever the POTUS is has always been a lot more popular than hating China.

Re: U.S. military shoots down suspected Chinese surveillance balloon

#235

Post by dragonwriter » Sun, Feb 05, 2023, 1:20 AM UTC

BrotherBisquick wrote: post #216

sabujp wrote: post #146

Spy balloon cost : $3k - $50k , you can even buy them on alibaba and some other sites: https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/China-hot-sale-surveillance-balloon-with_60454941082.html https://www.made-in-china.com/showroom/jennerjiang/product-list/catalog-1.html?view=0 Cost to shoot down balloon with F22 $400k for the AIM-9X, ~$85k for 1 hour of flight time, so ~$400 - $500k to shoot down one balloon that cost < $50k

I wonder why they didn't just use 20mm.

> I wonder why they didn't just use 20mm.

Canada tried that once, with poor results.

https://news.yahoo.com/weather-balloon-went-rogue-almost-161...

Re: U.S. military shoots down suspected Chinese surveillance balloon

#236

Post by chii » Sun, Feb 05, 2023, 1:20 AM UTC

hfbff wrote: post #180

yohanshi wrote: post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a taiwanese who lurks on hacker news for many years but when I saw this post I had to make an account. You are dead wrong, China is an enemy of the free world, pure and simple. South Koreans and Ukrainians would agree with me here. Especially since China has declared no limit friendship with russia

From your point of view, I can see how China is bad and the USA is good. But ask someone whose country got invaded by the USA or whose bloody dictator got supported by the USA. Over here in Latinamerica we still remember the horrible things that the USA did. It seems to me (but I could have a false perception) that China is a horrible bully in their corner of the world (nine dash line and, of course their will to inv…

> their foreign policy is order of magnitude less intrusive

that's because they can't do it, not because they don't want to do it.

Let's see what happens when the investments made with the belt and road initiative gets nationalized.

Re: U.S. military shoots down suspected Chinese surveillance balloon

#237

Post by KennyBlanken » Sun, Feb 05, 2023, 1:21 AM UTC

dctoedt wrote: post #118

The video of the shoot-down shows flashes from the detached-and-falling payload, probably explosive self-destruct devices detonating. (It'd be shocking if the Chinese didn't include a self-destruct capability.)

It's pretty clearly pieces of solar panel tumbling and catching sunlight as they fall.

China would not risk of flying explosives over the continental US given the US was "balloon bombed" by Japan during WW2.

If the thing crashed in some farmer's field and then blew up when he went to poke it with a stick, it wouldn't start WW3, but would result in huge domestic political pressure to "do something".

Even just video of the thing blowing up mid-air would be horrendous optics. "They were flying something really dangerous over us!"

Re: U.S. military shoots down suspected Chinese surveillance balloon

#238

Post by ObscureScience » Sun, Feb 05, 2023, 1:21 AM UTC

pxc wrote: post #181

LarryMullins wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're wasting your time trying to explain this to somebody who uses the derogatory "USian" to describe his supposed fellow countrymen.

What? It's not derogatory. It's just shorter and in some ways better specified than 'American'. I also used the word 'American' in the same post! Just didn't feel like writing the whole thing out the second time. -_-

I assume 'USian' is not a commonly use term and could be interpreted as "American of Asian decent" or similar.

But from your clarification it seem you simply meant American without any further qualifications.

Re: U.S. military shoots down suspected Chinese surveillance balloon

#239

Post by qaz_plm » Sun, Feb 05, 2023, 1:21 AM UTC

downvotetruth wrote: post #43

Missile was way overkill - your tax dollars at work! It had been observed for days: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/chinese-spy-ballo... A balloon's surface is not rigid. Clipping it with a wing would have been enough to deflate it as there is minimal to no risk of damaging a metal wing. Let alone the week or so they had to prepare a M61 Vulcan Gatling gun on an F15 that can fly at 65k ft above the 60k ft…

You’re neither expert in military nor taxes.

Re: U.S. military shoots down suspected Chinese surveillance balloon

#240

Post by LarryMullins » Sun, Feb 05, 2023, 1:21 AM UTC

pxc wrote: post #181

LarryMullins wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're wasting your time trying to explain this to somebody who uses the derogatory "USian" to describe his supposed fellow countrymen.

What? It's not derogatory. It's just shorter and in some ways better specified than 'American'. I also used the word 'American' in the same post! Just didn't feel like writing the whole thing out the second time. -_-

It is derogatory. Virtually no Americans call themselves "USians". It's nigh unpronounceable (it sounds like "US Asians") and only seen on the internet in the context of somebody with an axe to grind against America (as above.)