As jets closed in on China balloon, hobbyists were listening

[StoliRaz]

Wouldn't it be great if 20 countries got together and all sent 2-4 ballons from all directions to China's airspace to troll them?

 

[n8uad]

they could have shot it down with a 22 rifle

You can't possibly be serious. Balloon was at 60,000 feet, no .22 rifle is getting there.

 

[xilix]

<puts on tin foil hat>

With the "secure" channels available to the military, why would this mission be in the clear ?

 

[ka2cdk]

Plus, it's already been tried and done and lessons were learned. Canada tried to shoot down a weather balloon many years ago and they put over 1000 rounds into it and it still didn't come down.

A minor quibble. They expended over a thousand rounds; apparently few actually hit - hence it took three days for that balloon to come down. It is unlikely our marksmanship would be any better.

 

[dlwtrunked]

they could have shot it down with a 22 rifle

Not from the distance they were at.

 

[n6hgg]

With the "secure" channels available to the military, why would this mission be in the clear ?

It would be in the clear to avoid a technical foul up in communications. Simple is sometimes better, especially when World politics are involved. Encryption involves another layer of possibilities for error. And you don't want errors when you're shooting a missile at something. The captured Communications sound like typical military Aviation air band stuff. The audio characteristics with the weaker station having some a.m. type noise in the background makes me think it was definitely military a.m. airband stuff.

 

[APX8000]

It would be in the clear to avoid a technical foul up in communications. Simple is sometimes better, especially when World politics are involved. Encryption involves another layer of possibilities for error. And you don't want errors when you're shooting a missile at something. The captured Communications sound like typical military Aviation air band stuff. The audio characteristics with the weaker station having some a.m. type noise in the background makes me think it was definitely military a.m. airband stuff.

I use encryption everyday. I love how people generalize its use to "possibilities for error." A properly encrypted radio is no different than a non-encrypted radio. As an example, I'd rather have secure comms calling in a missile strike as a ground unit in the MIL rather than giving my coordinates over the air so the enemy can intercept and drop a surprise on my head.

 

[W2JEL]

I use encryption everyday. I love how people generalize its use to "possibilities for error." A properly encrypted radio is no different than a non-encrypted radio. As an example, I'd rather have secure comms calling in a missile strike as a ground unit in the MIL rather than giving my coordinates over the air so the enemy can intercept and drop a surprise on my head.

I think it was done more so for political transparency. IMHO

 

[APX8000]

Oh I don't doubt that one bit.

 

[dave3825]

hey could have shot it down with a 22 rifle

60000 feet is just over 11 miles. A LR22 round has a range just over a mile and would need to be at an arc angle close to to 30 degrees to go that full distance. And a 22 rifle is only accurate to about 300 yards.

 

[chrismol1]

I dont think theres anybody out there who really thought of hitting it at 60k with a 22 was reality.. I think he's mocking the CNN or MSNBC opinion reporters that were mocking the midwest and southern states as well as gun owners during the debate of shooting it down, mockingly stating something "you can't shoot everything you want with your .22"