NIBBB.

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NIBBB = Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade.

Unmasked the culprits of the bandit intruder spy-in-the-sky unidentified object.

SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS BALLOON HOBBYISTS?

"One of the Balloons the Military Shot Down May Have Belonged to A Local Ballooning Club!"

From FM radio station www.959theriver.com the story by NICK JAKUSZ February 17, 2023. A number of tips also from Pablo Escobar.

See these most recent and pertinent tweets:

NORAD flummoxed by a hobbyist balloon as sent aloft by a bunch of kids? Well, I did label these most recent balloon sightings and military activity in response to same as hysterical!! NORAD allied air forces rose to the occasion but not so standing tall but rather sheepish with hindsight!

"flummox: transitive verb - To confuse; perplex"

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Rationale.

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Missiles to shoot down a balloon? Missiles?

"Why the U.S. used missiles, not cheap bullets, to shoot down Chinese balloon, 3 unidentified objects"

From yahoo.com | Peter Weber, Senior editor | February 15, 2023.

U.S. fighter jets fired five heat-seeking AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles to take down four aerial objects floating high over U.S. and Canadian airspace between Feb. 4 and Feb. 12, U.S. officials said. The unidentified floating octagon shot down over Lake Huron in upper Michigan required two Sidewinders, because the first one failed to detect the object, 'did not fuse,' and crashed 'harmlessly' into Lake Huron" 

WHY NOT THE INTERCEPTORS USING THEIR ORGANIC 20 MM CANNON AS A MORE APPROPRIATE MEASURE COMMENSURATE WITH COUNTERING THE PERCEIVED THREAT!

Devoted readers to the blog will have to read the entire article and find out the reasoning and rationality of using missiles rather than cannon during the intercept and shoot-down.

An intercept of this nature using air-air missiles as the weapon of choice fraught with more than a degree of danger? Think from over three decades ago now the strange case and never-fully-explained aviation disaster of Itavia 870. 

A Sidewinder can and does [as apparently in the air over Lake Huron] go rogue. Consequences potentially disastrous.

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Audio.

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Devoted readers to the blog encouraged to listen to the audio air-to-air conversations of all aircraft involved in the shoot-down of the unidentified flying object Like Huron.

"Radio Audio From F-16 Shoot Down Of Object Over Lake Huron"

Posted by the "The War Zone" | Feb 14, 2023 | Audio courtesy of Mike in Southwest Wisconsin.

"NOTE: The audio repeats at 14:30 but with a slightly better fidelity from some players."

Indeed, probably better to scroll the play to 14:30 and listen from that point for better fidelity.

Blue lines here represents the "track" of the F-16 interceptors during the balloon shoot-down. Balloon or whatever the object was fired upon just prior to the "object" exiting American airspace. If you look closely at the image [click on graphic to enlarge] you will what is apparently a commercial aircraft about forty-two miles to the east, well out of range of the Sidewinder missile. An E-3 Sentry AWACS flying out of Tinker AFB Oklahoma USA directing the interceptors onto target. A KC-135 tanker reputedly also in the area in case those F-16 needing mid-air refueling. Quite a chase, wasn't it!

Bravo to all involved!

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Trigger.

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"'We do need to point out, however, that the U.S.'s downing of the unmanned airship with advanced missiles is a trigger-happy overreaction, . . . Many in the U.S. have been asking what good can such costly action possibly bring to the U.S. and its taxpayers?’" -Wang, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"The People's Republic of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs took jabs at the U.S. on Monday, calling the country 'trigger-happy' to shoot down aircraft."

Consider within historical context the Chinese accusation of American air defense being "trigger-happy".

"trigger-happy: adjective | 1. Having a tendency or desire to shoot a firearm before adequately identifying the target. 2. Inclined to react violently at the slightest provocation."

* Soviet air defense during the Cold War shot down forty of their OWN airplanes within Soviet internal airspace thinking they were hostile.

* Prior to the recent balloon shoot-downs NORAD had not shot down a single airplane or UFO. That within a period of over sixty years!

* After 9/11 on two occasions thought had been seriously given to shooting down two airplanes within American airspace but was not done, planes crashed first.

Read here of the incident involving the errant aircraft carrying among the passengers the famous golfer Payne Stewart. American and Canadian warplanes intercepting but not shooting down.

Read here also of a private plane the course deviation raising what I had thought would have been great alarm. A plane deviating from flight path in the vicinity of a U.S. military production and storage facility of nerve agent VX.

Both planes evidently a catastrophic failure of some sort incapacitating crew and resulting in a diversion from planned course that was seen as a potential danger.

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Andaman.

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“When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions” 

Those high-flying Chinese balloons bandit intruder pirate-in-the-sky missions hardly confined to the continental United States. Think too India | Port Blair | Andaman islands | Bay of Bengal | Indian Ocean.

"Chinese High-Altitude Balloons Also Used Over Indian Military Bases"

From the Internet web site "Covert Shores the article by H I Sutton | 04 February 2023.

"The Chinese balloon flying over the United States is getting headlines. The Chinese government has admitted it is there's but claim that it is civilian in nature and that the overflight is accidental. Another has been observed flying over Latin America with reports from Costa Rico and Colombia. There is very strong circumstantial evidence that these are military related 'spy balloons' and that there is a pattern of operation going back at least a year."

Click on image to see an enlarged view. All thanks to H. I. Sutton for the graphic.

[....]

"In January 2022 one of the balloons was photographed overflying Port Blair. This is a strategically located Indian Navy base in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean. At the time the object was shared on social media but its Chinese origin appears to have been speculation at best (at least in the public sphere)."

See also comments of the Port Blair media the detection of the Chinese balloon as was surmised about.

"Unidentified Flying Object over Port Blair city triggers curiosity and rumors" | Andaman Sheekha January 6, 2022.

99 Red balloons go pop? From 1984 The German songstress Nena warned us of all this decades ago? Didn't she.

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Persistance.

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“When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions” - Shakespeare.

And evidently so too the Chinese intruder bandit pirate-in-the-sky intelligence/surveillance/reconnaissance balloons.

"REVEALED: China's secret spy balloon base is located on remote and heavily militarized island - as Beijing officials 'refuse to speak to US defense secretary after balloon was downed'"

By PAUL FARRELL and HARRIET ALEXANDER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM | 8 February 2023. 

* "The Chinese spy balloon shot down over US airspace was one of 'dozens" * "The balloons are a 'massive part' of China's elaborate espionage programs" * "Chinese officials have not spoken to US counterparts since the destruction"

Courtesy this graphic the Mail and thanks to same.

"Speaking about the advantages of using a balloon for spying reasons rather than more sophisticated technology, retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Charlie 'Tuna' Moore said: 'If you have a balloon that’s moving extremely slowly you have persistence that you can’t get from a satellite.'"

"US officials have said the balloon was equipped with rudders and propellers."

Then it is I had speculated! These balloons can be steered and course-correction made remotely while in flight.

Balloons also slow movers and usually FILTERED by advanced American military radars? Perceived as not a concern or threat?

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Huron.

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Yet again continuing more BALLOON HYSTERIA USA and Canada!

NORAD on-the-balloon and in an instant Lake Huron. F-16 intercepting and shooting down octagonal object.

Thanks once more top Disclose.tv. Without a lot of commentary on my part.

This eight-sided object shot down might have been the same intruder also spotted in the skies over Havre, Montana, USA only yesterday??

Persons in authority better get their minds going and rapid fast on this stuff!! This is now a developing story that goes way beyond the original sighting of the Chinese high-flying intelligence/surveillance/reconnaissance balloon shot down off the coast of South Carolina! The American public is not going to be satisfied with mere mutterings.

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Uruguay.

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Finality BALLOON HYSTERIA! Hysteria not confined to strictly USA? Think China and Uruguay too? Uruguay?

Thanks in all cases to tweet by Disclose.tv.

Bandit intruder pirate-in-the-sky balloon Chinese and Uruguayan airspace? Without a whole lot of commentary on my part.

99 Red balloons go pop? From 1984 The German songstress Nena warned us of all this?

Didn't she!! And as to the conclusion?

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Montana.

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Continuing BALLOON HYSTERIA USA!

Thanks in all cases to tweet by Disclose.tv.

Yet one more bandit intruder pirate-in-the-sky balloon Montana? Without a whole lot of commentary on my part.

99 Red balloons go pop? From 1984 The German songstress Nena warned us of all this?

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Michigan.

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Here begins a series of blog entries, BALLOON HYSTERIA USA.

Thanks in all cases to tweet by Disclose.tv.

Bandit intruder pirate-in-the-sky balloon American and Canadian airspace? Lake Michigan? Without a whole lot of commentary on my part.

99 Red balloons go pop? From 1984 The German songstress Nena warned us of all this?

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Bandits.

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High-flying unidentified-object Canada shot out of the sky! Only from today!

"High-altitude object shot down over northern Canada"

Courtesy yahoo.com the story by MEREDITH DELISO | February 11, 2023.

"A high-altitude object tracked over northern Canada has been shot down over the Yukon, officials said."

"Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he ordered the takedown of' 'an unidentified object that violated Canadian airspace.'"

"'Canadian and U.S. aircraft were scrambled, and a U.S. F-22 successfully fired at the object,' he [Trudeau] tweeted."

"Canadian Forces will now recover and analyze the wreckage, Trudeau said."

My fear is that this will become a daily occurrence! NORADCommand going to be busy in a way it has never been. Scrambling armed warplanes American and Canadian to intercept intruder / bandit balloons perhaps sent deliberately by foreign powers hostile to the United States merely as a provocation.

One - two - three - many intruder / bandit balloons.

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Inflated.

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Courtesy the Internet web site "Covert Shores" more balloon espionage stuff. Ninety-nine balloons the U.S Navy.

"U.S. Navy & CIA Submarine Launched Spy Balloons"

From http://www.hisutton.com the article by H I Sutton 03 February 2023. 

Think once more from the era of the Cold War the American "spy" balloon Project Genetrix.

"Project Genetrix saw the USAF launch over 500 surveillance balloons, fitted with cameras, over USSR, China and Eastern Europe in the 1950s. What is less well known is that around the same time the US Navy was, with the CIA, experimenting with launching similar balloons from a submarine."

Think also during the same period the U.S. Navy having their own intelligence/surveillance/reconnaissance balloon program.

U.S. Navy balloon program in contrast to Genetrix MANNED!

"Unlike the USAF program, the balloons were crewed, with a pilot and CIA photographer. The submarine would surface and the balloon inflated. At the end of mission the balloonists would ditch in the sea and be picked up by another submarine (or possibly the same one)."

Let me get this straight! 1. Submarine would first have surface. 2. Balloon inflated and sent aloft carrying crew. 3. Balloon at considerable altitude I assume drifting rather aimlessly across forbidden airspace. 4. Images would have been taken. 5. Crew ditched balloon [presumably parachuting into the open ocean]. 6. Crew of balloon hopefully rescued intact with film.

And nothing can go wrong!

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FRANK01.

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Shoot-down Chinese bandit intruder balloon American airspace radio communications between pilots and ground control as copied in real time.

"Intercept audio: Listen to the jet that shot down the Chinese Spy Balloon (actual radio audio)"

Thanks to Airplane Ian  Feb 4, 2023 as found on You Tube:

"Composite clip including interception audio from the shoot-down of the suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Also includes video of the shoot-down and a time lapse of ADS-B flight tracking data from the region. The shooter is FRANK01, a F-22 based out of Langley AFB, and they are coordinated with HUNTRESS, callsign for NORAD's Eastern Air Defense Sector control."

Look at the inset far-left bottom of the video! Shows abundance of commercial air traffic vicinity Myrtle Beach at the time of the shoot-down!

And from comments from an acknowledged aviation authority the lack or non-use of non-secure communications:

"I am surprised that this was all done 'in the clear'. Combat planes have 'secure voice', a scrambled radio transmission and reception device that prohibits others from listening in . . . [first used] in the Vietnam War in mid-late 1972, with great success. It is undoubtedly far more efficient and useful now."

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Bandit.

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F-22 American fighter plane to the rescue. Chinese bandit intruder balloon shot down!

But the story continues.

"ANOTHER Chinese spy balloon is spotted: Mystery 'surveillance device' floated over Costa Rica before reaching Venezuela, the Pentagon confirms amid frenzy over airbone spyware in the air over the United States"

From www.dailymail.co.uk the article by RONNY REYES and NATASHA ANDERSON | PUBLISHED: 3 February 2023 | UPDATED: 4 February 2023.

* "Second Chinese spy balloon was spotted over Latin America, officials confirmed" * "Pentagon said it does not appear the balloon is heading into the United States" * "It comes after a different Chinese balloon hovered over Montana and Missouri"

"A second Chinese spy balloon was spotted hovering over Latin America just hours after the Pentagon accused Beijing of using a similar balloon to spy on sensitive military sites in the US."

 Click on image to see an enlarged view. Thanks to the Mail for the graphic.

"Early reports indicated the surveillance craft was flying over Costa Rica, Colombia and Venezuela. Officials say the new balloon does not appear to be heading to America."

Comments:

* F-22 fighter plane shot down the errant balloon and not a F-16.

* Balloon is capable of reaching an altitude of 120,000 feet? Line-of-sight [LoS] at that altitude is ≈ 500 miles [800 km.]. 120,000 feet ≈ 36,000 meters.

* Several things missing from the Mail graphic. Course of balloon as it crossed the continental USA also passing well within LoS distance of additional important military facilities to include Whiteman AFB and King's Bay naval submarine base.

* And as for the second off-course balloon South America? What do we make of that?

Debris from the instrument package if recovered will be of intense interest to USA military planners? 

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Maneuverable.

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Shoot the damned thing down! Now!

Unmanned Chinese surveillance balloon now over USA not wholly dependent on the upper air current direction for course? Has some sort of undisclosed technology that allows for course correction?

"Suspected Chinese Spy Balloon Is ‘Maneuverable,’ Has Changed Direction At 60,000 Feet: Pentagon"

From www.dailywire.com  DailyWire.com the article by Ryan Saavedra | Feb 3, 2023.

"The U.S. Department of Defense revealed Friday that the suspected Chinese spy balloon that is flying over the United States has the ability to maneuver and has changed direction at 60,000 feet."

"Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder would not say how the balloon could be maneuvered and refused to state if the communist Chinese government was in control of the balloon."

There is a LOT of media attention to this high-flying Chinese balloon. All the experts are of the opinion that they baffled as to the intention of the balloon payload if this flight it is indeed that of an intelligence and surveillance mission. The consensus is that you can do all that sort of "spy work" so much easier and without creating a headache if you USE satellites of which the Chinese have more than a few in orbit.

A maneuverable balloon totally unlike that of the American Genetrix series of photographic intelligence balloons NOT floating aimlessly driven only by the winds of the upper atmosphere I must admit as far as I know a first.

Maybe more than maybe the USA needs to shoot that balloon down and do so now!

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Genetrix-2.

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“The balloon is currently travelling at an altitude well above commercial air traffic and does not present a military or physical threat to people on the ground,” - Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder.

This sounds like something from over sixty years ago! Indeed it is something from over sixty years ago.

And as such must be considered in the historical context.

"1. China spy balloon - live: American military detects high-altitude surveillance balloon hovering over US"

"Pentagon has been tracking the Chinese balloon for several days as it travelled over the northern United States"

From www.independent.co.uk | Graeme Massie | Arpai Rai | Los Angeles | 2 Feb 2023.

"The US military is tracking a suspected Chinese high-altitude spy balloon as it makes its way over the northern United States."

"Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said that the US has so far decided against shooting down the surveillance balloon"

Click on image to see an enlarged view.

Consider historical circumstances from "over sixty years ago" the American high-altitude balloon intelligence gathering Project Genetrix.

"Project Genetrix, also known as WS-119L, was a United States Air Force program designed to launch General Mills manufactured surveillance balloons over Communist China, Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union to take aerial photographs and collect intelligence."

[....]

"Between 10 January and 6 February 1956, a total of 516 high-altitude vehicles were launched from the five different launch sites Gardermoen, Norway; Evanton, Scotland; Oberpfaffenhofen and Giebelstadt, West Germany; and Incirlik, Turkey; 54 were recovered and only 31 provided usable photographs."

Take and product from the project rather scant and mediocre for the amount of effort. Genetrix "discovered only one target of significance".

USA also testing from four years ago much to my surprise newer and extremely more sophisticated high-altitude drifting surveillance balloons.

2. "Pentagon testing mass surveillance balloons across the US"

From www.theguardian.com | Mark Harris | 2 Aug 2019. Archived article.

"Exclusive: the high-altitude balloons promise a cheap monitoring platform that could follow multiple cars and boats for extended periods"

"The US military is conducting wide-area surveillance tests across six midwest states using experimental high-altitude balloons, documents filed with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reveal."

"Up to 25 unmanned solar-powered balloons are being launched from rural South Dakota and drifting 250 miles [400 km.] through an area spanning portions of Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and Missouri, before concluding in central Illinois."

Wide-area surveillance of large swaths of landscape beyond merely taking pictures!

A balloon drifting at an altitude of 70,000 feet [22,000 meters] that line-of-sight either side of the balloon's path about three-hundred seventy-five miles [600 km.].

Balloons yesterday, today, tomorrow, forever.

coolbert.