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Latest flying objects shot down over Canada were likely balloons

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The US believes that the flying objects shot down over North American airspace on Friday and Saturday were balloons, according to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. (www.bbc.com) More...

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blueashflyer
blueashflyer 13
giant, spherical, floating = yes that's a balloon
Geldridge
Gary Eldridge 7
Why would the military use such a powerful ordinance to bring down a balloon? A missile could fly right through a balloon and cause much damage somewhere else. Why not use an aerial laser weapon which is claimed to be so powerful and accurate? This would eliminate the need for an aircraft to climb to 50,000 + feet to engage.
PDLanum
Philip Lanum 1
What Laser. You read too much Popular Science.
lynx318
lynx318 6
So many rogue gender reveal balloons, so many families will never know the baby genders... (since emojis aren't available, upside down sarcasm smiley face)
BoydC
BoydC 1
Perfect!
RECOR10
RECOR10 1
Mine were the color of Unicorn farts.
MrTommy
MrTommy 6
"The US believes that the flying objects shot down over North American airspace on Friday and Saturday were balloons".

I have an idea. Why don't they ask the pilots that supposedly shot these 'anomalies' down?
mikehe
Mike Hindson-Evans 4
I *really* hope that this wasn't the week that ET finally decided to visit us!
TimDyck
Tim Dyck 1
ET ain’t going home.
n555cf
rbt schaffer 4
I was wondering when they were going to figure that out... There's probably a hundred balloons floating around up there right now.. The one the size of a airliner was from China though, and it should have had a transponder to locate it. Most others weigh like a small bird
aliamus
Steve Aliamus 6
Wondering if these slow flying devices have been actually around longer than just a few weeks. Just read that the US military has been adjusting its radar to find flying objects (i.e., balloons) that are smaller, slower and differently shaped than enemy aircraft and missiles.
Henry123
Henry Matias 3
Love the way they blast them to million pieces then try to put them back together. Waste of tax payers money and error in fact finding investigations as result of impossible determination due to destruction. Try deflating techniques to initiate a slow decent for better recovery results. Am I the only one thinking this…
1ValerieScott
Valerie Scott 3
This article seems to explain using missiles instead of guns:
https://theaviationgeekclub.com/heres-why-the-usaf-f-22-used-the-aim-9x-rather-than-the-gun-to-shoot-down-the-chinese-spy-balloon-and-why-the-sidewinder-dont-need-to-see-something-hot-in-order-to/
ed7778
Dennis Stockton 5
China: Depleting U.S. jet fuel and air-to-air missiles one balloon at a time.
1ValerieScott
Valerie Scott 4
why use a $300,000 Aim 9X to shoot down a balloon? Seems to me a couple of 20 mm rounds would do the trick..
bswalker64
ROBERT WALKER 2
Isn't the Aim 9 a heatseeking missle? If so, what kind of balloons gives off a heat signature?
1ValerieScott
Valerie Scott 3
yep - sidewinders... apparently you can't pop a balloon at 40,0000 feet with bullets...
PDLanum
Philip Lanum 1
Whoosh!
BorisBiggins
Boris Biggins 2
First rule of gun safety, KNOW YOUR TARGET and what is beyond. Are you seriously going to tell me the Air Force does not apply this rule before launching million dollar missiles? They could not bother to do a low speed fly by? They now shoot down party balloons with a missile? Come on, I was born at night but it wasn't last night.
BillOverdue
Bill Overdue 2
China "humiliated"? Hardly, look in the mirror Mr Schumer, and while you're at it, wake up the President and have him look in the mirror and see America's embarrassment to the World!
yr2012
matt jensen 3
This one over Lake Huron was the same balloon spotted over Montana two days earlier. It was not an anomaly as some pols have said.
topgunnh
Peter McGrath 4
I wonder if Gen. Millie called China to let them know the US was shooting down balloons? What a travesty our military has become!
wd73383
WD Rseven 4
Schummer is a pathological liar and corrupt politician. What kind of idiot would believe anything he says?
BoydC
BoydC -3
Agree. His comments are riddled with B.S. and intellectually bankrupt.
Doodybutch
Doodybutch 4
$500,000 missile and $100 million fighter to shoot down $100 hobby and weather balloons!
And these idiots are in charge of our defense.
The White House did inform us that they were definitely not alien spaceships. This is good since shooting at aliens could be a VERY BAD idea.
fireftr
Dale Ballok 5
Sounds like a case of an itchy trigger finger! They shot down the Chinese balloon, then started shooting at anything else floating in the sky! Target practice!
lynx318
lynx318 2
Itchy 911 syndrome
mikehe
Mike Hindson-Evans 0
Sounds like the Americans.
BillOverdue
Bill Overdue 1
The World is quickly becoming more dangerous because of politically motivated individuals!
lfilipov747
lfilipov747 2
I don't believe for a second, what we're being told.
ted3020
Ted Taylor 2
When will we see the photos so the whole world can laugh at us? Our kiss-butt generals are all PC and represent the failure of the military.
mplewton
Maurice Lewton 1
http://www.scientificballoonsolutions.com/news/
mplewton
Maurice Lewton 1
https://amateur.sondehub.org/#!mt=Mapnik&mz=5&qm=12h&mc=53.46189,-2.24121
MichaelDealey
Michael Dealey 1
It's looking like one of these balloons was someone's school project.
janunger50
Jan Unger 1
Weren’t the ones shot down over the US also balloons?
sparkie624
sparkie624 0
With Schumer's past, this probably means they were "Little Green Men, from Alpha Centuri, You should visit there some time!"
btweston
btweston 2
Riiiiight…
briansfreeman
Brian Freeman 1
China unleashes a deadly virus that kills millions of people around the world and we're completely disinterested in ascertaining how or why. Yet, float a balloon over us and our undergarments become completely entangled. We're a brilliant country these days...
walcar68
Walter Carter 1
For those who believe the media or our present government, I have oceanfront property for sale in Kentucky.
msetera
msetera -4
Barroon deriveling fly lice?
BoydC
BoydC 4
Hilarious!!! But the politically correct purple haired gender neutrals will be told to tell you that you are racist. Not true, just funny. Thanks for posting.

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