Once upon a time, America’s greatest military strength was the creativity of its people. Our adversaries didn’t know what to expect from us on the battlefield or in the planning rooms, and it instilled the strongest of emotions in our adversaries – fear.
But there is no fear coming from the leaders of Communist China following its latest provocation of sending a spy balloon over the United States. Rather, China’s claims of “help” from flying a stratospheric “research” balloon over the heart of America sounds more like mocking derision.
Perhaps we should be thankful for their incursion as a lesson in what we must do better. For one, China is helping to test our air defenses and specifically our ability to deal with what defense experts call an asymmetric threat. This test provides insights as to what we can do and what we’re willing to do, both now and in any future response to this overflight.
Those of us who’ve dedicated our lives to defending this nation deeply understand traditional air defense and appreciate the new service dedicated to controlling the domain above the air, the Space Force. But between these two layers is the stratosphere, specifically the upper portion where the air is very thin. This is where the Chinese balloon was flying.
The stratosphere is a high-ground for observation and communications that, unlike the lower atmosphere and space’s low earth orbits, allows for long endurance sensing and is not crowded. Consider it an untapped growth area. Historically, the stratosphere is considered part of a country’s territorial airspace which some of America’s capability developers have explored how to exploit and dominate against any threat.
Undoubtedly, China’s real test is whether or not the American people awaken to this issue. Those who understand the strategic importance of the stratosphere have proposed concepts for using and defending it to the Pentagon, and debated the potential of balloons meandering over the adversary’s airspace.
There are many tactical considerations involved: Could an adversary do anything about a unique, slow speed stratospheric system; how might they react; is it a good exchange (using a million-dollar missile to kill a cheap floater); what could be lost with the payload; and what is the capability value?
But instead of taking some nickels and dimes from earlier $700+ billion defense budgets to explore the risks and rewards of establishing stratospheric capabilities, our keenly focused institutional processes and mega-suppliers yielded the same old stuff – traditional air defense, jets, rockets and satellites for space, and nothing in between; the space now occupied by China.
While Washington dithered, the Chinese were either thinking the same thing or took our concept and invested their yuan into actually building, and now using, a stratospheric balloon against us. Perhaps we should thank the Chinese for allowing us to see how our own stratospheric concepts might work.
The real purpose of this Chinese research experiment was to reveal both our military capabilities and our political resolve. They’ve likely concluded we lack the political will and, likely, the capability to effectively deal with this asymmetric threat, which lingered for days over the heartland of America.
In time China and other potential adversaries, as well as our allies, will witness how we react to this spy balloon stimulus. If we sluggishly respond by dumping hundreds of millions of dollars into the lumbering, traditional defense suppliers we’d be lucky to see anything in years, they’ll learn one lesson. But if we reopen the doors to America’s agile small business development community, they’ll learn another lesson: fear of the unbounded unknown and respect.
Will this past week’s events be a wake-up call to the nation? Perhaps, maybe a small one. But will it be enough to change the Defense Department and dislodge a calcified establishment into meeting new threats with new ideas? We cannot say. Either way, the world is watching.
As Japanese Admiral Yamamoto is rumored to have said after the attack on Pearl Harbor, “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.” The world knows how that story ended but we’ve rested on those laurels too long.
Whether the spy balloon incursion has awakened a 21st century sleeping giant depends on the American people. If it has, perhaps the best thing we can say is, ‘Thanks, China.’
Biden just allowed it to travel from Coast to Coast before it was shot down
Biden is bought and paid for by the Chinese government. They helped him get elected and now it’s payback time for the Chinese.
And don’t forget the Chinese have lots of dirt on the Biden family — and photos of Hunter.
One overlooked point — immediately after the U.S. shot the balloon down, the Biden Administration (Sec. of Def.) was on the phone trying to talk to the Chinese.
No doubt wanting to beg for forgiveness and grovel.
The Chinese refused to take his call. They know how to play hardball.
Next stop for the Chinese: Taiwan. Then we’ll see what Tough Guy Joe does to his BBFs.
The next president must be a man who knows how to protect America.
Donald Trump is not that man. Instead of being though he is kissing and holding hands with Kim Yong Un. Our worst enemys leader he calls “my friend Wladimir”. John Bolton is the man for the Job. He knows how to handle China.
BS !!
Bolton is a war hawk.
Trump knows how to handle China.
Why do you think that Biden actually won?
Who do you think that the Chinese feared more Trump or oBiden?
Were I in command i would have punched a small hole in the balloon when it entered Alaska’s airspace and checked its altitude and punched enough holes to SLOWLY bring it to rest where everything could be recovered—JUST LIKE RUSSIA EASED OUR U-2 SPY PLANE– with Gary Powers long ago in the Cold War. grvn
Exactly. This question will be asked, months from now.
I’ve been saying this since the first one was spotted . And I’m just a stupid guitar player, by no means a military analyst.
As it stands, the ‘border’ between FL600 and above is undefined, and unregulated.
It means I’d like to have Trump and DeSantis in the Whitehouse
In that order.
When DeSantis has proven he is a loyal and trustworthy team player, and has learned The Art of the Deal, he can run for the big job after The Donald has rescued us from the dirty Dems – again.
Perhaps at this moment some pis-ed off patriot his in the garage designing the cure for a balloon flown at 60,000ft.
A balloon would be a slow weak target. Nothing of hyper speed or hyper technology would be required to do the job.
I’d about bet that Israel has already planed for such a low tech attack, and have the cure, they do live in a neighborhood that requires a bit of defensive forethought.
As long as Biden-Harris and their minions are in charge, there will be no great awakening. The country will remain adrift for at least the next two years. That is, if we still have a country at the end of that time.
When no one was looking over here…
Biden quietly releases al Qaeda terrorist Khan to Belize after 16 years in CIA custody in Guantanamo Bay as US was focused on Chinese spy balloon: Terrorist who was radicalized by 9/11 says: ‘I promise I’ve changed’–Daily Mail 2/6/23
Not to worry… Traitor Joe said that our Military Will Focus on Making “Maternity Flight Suits”! And pronouns…
Eh, the “maternity flight suits’ were driven more by the decision a while back to make the flight suit a daily dress uniform instead of just a work uniform. When I joined the Navy, you only wore the flight suit in and around the squadron spaces/flight line if you were on the flight schedule. The rest of the time, you wore khakis. You couldn’t wear a flight suit out in town, you couldn’t wear it going over to meetings at the wing HQ or anything. After they made it the uniform of the day for all the flight personnel- well, all the flight personnel have to wear it- the point of a uniform is uniformity. Even the female flight crew who are pregnant.
Biden took Communist China’s bribes and they put him in the White House using the Dominion voting machines with their installed software. The machines were not supposed to have internet connection capability but they did which is why we saw the numbers switch from Trump to Biden in real time on election night. The timing of the Communist China virus outbreak also allowed for the mass mail-in ballot fraud to take place strictly as a backup to insure the coup…
What a XXXXXXX. Do you believe in this yourself?
Biden is personally conflicted because China, Ukraine, and Russia all have incriminating evidence of he and his family’s corrupt dark deals in each country and could expose him at anytime.
None of this will end well.
– Court martial treasonous moron Milley. He’s a disgrace to the uniform.
– Remove racist, America-hating SECDEF Austin & prosecute him in federal court.
– Halt the CRT, drag queen, and LGBTQXYZ123+++ BS in the military.
– In addition to money, not one more tank, artillery piece, or bullet for Zelensky.
– Shoot down anything that crosses the international water boundary.
I object. Ukraine has been attacked by a brutal facist power.
The world will not let the evil win..
Give all the help US can afford to Ukraine
Did you protest when Ukraine was shelling Russians in the Donbas in 2014. Did you protest when the US orchestrated a coup in Ukraine deposing a duly elected president because he was friendly to Russia and then installed one friendly towards NATO. Did you protest over the US funding of bio weapons labs in Ukraine? Did you protest when the US gave assurances to Putin that they wouldn’t push NATO to the east and shortly thereafter reneged and did just that. The US is using Ukraine as a proxy. The US has the Monroe Doctrine and has used it on many occasions. Why shouldn’t Russia have the same policy. The US has absolutely no strategic reason for meddling in Ukraine. NONE! Our gov’t is prolonging this fiasco to try and stick it to Russia(Putin more precisely) and people are dying. The US has provoked this war because the neocons in our gov’t want it.
Oh I forgot. Our gov’t just blew up an international pipeline belonging to a sovereign nation, which by the way is an act of war. And we are the good guys? Most Americans are. Our gov’t not so much.
Also the color revolution in Ukraine, where the US engineered the election – 2014, I believe.
Why didn’t you defenders of liberty stop Putin in his tracks from invading Ukraine?
Why don’t you stop the war in Ukraine?
Why don’t you stop terrorists from entering the southern border of the USA?
Why don’t you stop drugs flooding into our cities and towns?
Why don’t you strengthen our military so our enemies don’t send balloons across our air space?
Why don’t you do something besides show we’re weak and spineless?
Putin has been saying for years he will NOT TOLERATE NATO’s seapons on his doorstep. US and allies have done nothing but push to bring NATO ever closer to Russia’s borders. Did JFK do right to deamnd the russians remove their missiles from Cuba, 90 miles from OUR shores? Yes he did. WHY is Putin a nasty oy for demaandong the same “courtesy”?
ote what Putin is doing right now:he has drawn up his forces in the territory that used to be Russia then was taken and made part of the Ukraine.. the anguage and culture and religion of those areas has ben for centirues,Russian. The people voted themselves to secede from Ukraine and become part of their fomer hojmeland Russi. Now tha t Zelenseky
s government are no longer capable of advancing on Putin’s positions they (Russians) hve ceased expanding into new territory, though they could. They are simply holding the lines at what used to be Russia before it was ripped away and added to Ukiraine. Now it has left Ukraine and rejoined their former homeland Russia.
By far Mao was worst mass Murderer then Hitler his War on Sparrows would bring Infestation and Famine
Yes, The CCP wants the United States reduced to a nothing country, including our military, but thats not the end of their goals, Taiwan is next, and probably Israel for their resources, and the CCP don’t want the United States to be able to help Israel or any other country….we will be rendered ineffective. This is how evil grows and metastasizes, there’s no country with a moral compass or duty for goodness to stand in their way, they are totally evil!
The Globalist goal is to render the US ineffective to do anything or to help other nations overcome tyranny. They don’t want any nation with a moral compass to exist.
Dear USA,
Tulsi Gabard is just another Trojan Horse.
Yours Truly,
Mayor, City of Troy
The reason for the border invasion: DRUGS. Biden and company the CCP is flooding the country with drugs this is a way to get the young and stupid in the USA reduced to nothing. Unfit for military. Unfit for anything but slavery.
The Globalists the United Nations, CFR, WEF Etc. wants America to be a third world nation with Open Borders unregulated imigration Gun Control and under the Paris Accord
LASER, quick, cheap, selective….Pin prick a balloon…..
Do you have a source for those claims or are you making it up as you go along?
The CCP has an American president aiding and abetting their agenda for world dominance. What more do we need to know?
Maybe the threat of disarming ourselves will save us. As we all know, The Articles of Confederation made our 13 colonies so feared that Muslim pirates kidnapped our men and women by the hundreds of thousands they were so afraid of us. Thank God Jefferson came out of his ideological delusions and sent a secret force to attack the Muslims “on the shores of Tripoli….remember that song? Well, the libertarians are at it again, dreaming great dreams and straining mightily to out delude themselves.
If those who can’t make their handy-dandy ideologies make any sense, try reading some American history,
Too much pot !This is talk of the flower people. You cannot be serious.
Putin tied Russian oil to gold at the start of the Ukraine war. if Russian oil prices suffer it affects the price of gold. Now we are starting to see the long term results of that action. The end result will be global financial collapse. Ushering in some kind of global digital currency.. The wheels of globalization are moving slowly forward.
america is the modern day equivalent of the titanic , wonderful to behold , a triumph of technology and then along comes dementia iceberg joe and punches a hole in the hull . emergency flares are launched , deck chairs are shuffled , help arrives too late and the grand dame is on a race to the bottom . regardless of what america does to stem its decline , just like the titanic it is doomed . america has been asleep at the wheel for years. get used to dis appointment because it is only going to get worse .
Even if Biden himself were not deep in the pockets of the Chinese, or if he were not a coward, or even not a typical professional politician, or psychopath (they are one and the same), a Democrat administration aiming to establish a one-Party dictatorship on the Chinese model would not have acted correctly. That’s because such a response would have been manly. Democrats call manliness toxic masculinity, even when it is found in the military. When found there it is quickly extinguished by Democrats.
When Barack Obama set his limp-wristed idea of Neo-Marxism in concrete in D.C. over the fourteen years of his eight years as President, his four years in absentia during the Trump administration, and now another two years during the Biden nee Obama administration manliness was washed out of the National Democratic Party and the Deep Swamp. Democrats cannot even conduct a revolution and name what it is doing like real men would.
If you are an old man like me you won’t have to worry about the demise of America. My son, grandson, and great grandsons and daughters will have to suffer the wars that are coming because of the corruption and self-worship of America’s politicians in both parties.
Had this balloon contained an EMP device, we would have lost our electrical grid for months & perhaps years.
We would have been sitting ducks. Why did they not do that? Perhaps their plan A is working well & they did not feel the need to do it & create a problem with the infrastructure they hope to acquire for themselves by other means. That NOTHING useful was done to stop the balloon showed them that their infiltration & hijacking of our government & military has proceeded so well that there is no need for an EMP attack. The bioweapons & infiltration & hijacking of our government & its agencies is sufficient.