What we've learned about the Chinese spy balloon

Early in 2023 the Biden administration faced a most unusual espionage case when America's military defenses were put on notice against a balloon that was believed to have originated in China. CBS News national security correspondent David Martin talks with Gen. Mark Milley about the incursion of U.S. airspace that had the nation and its politicians in a tizzy - and about what we've learned from an examination of the balloon's wreckage.
#news #balloon #china
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[@heffaazul]

Our military used to be decent at lying. Now they just pick words off the Sunday paper crossword.

[@slihb]

John Goodman playing a U.S. General is a new exciting role for him I bet

[@tombuilder1475]

maga trying to be funny is a new exciting role but fail!

[@mikelbrenn111]

China is entering a world of pain!

[@ricotheman8139]

What have you learned about the Chinese spy balloon?…eh…it is not a SPY balloon.

[@caladr9367]

Incorrect, it is a spy balloon. It wasn’t able to collect intel because it was jammed by the US military.

[@boiscooka232]

😂😂😂 USA 🧠 🤙🏻

[@slypear]

Your post earned you how many 5-whats?

[@8alakai8]

well maybe it was not but just to check what they can get away with they it in sea all the time

[@HaHa-hi8ot]

Nobody said it was a spy balloon, it was a weather balloon that took us some years to make.😢If we wanted to spy, then why would we put a visible balloon there? Most fights are started by accidents, and our weather balloon accidentally went into America. We should be the angry ones, the ones that got their first weather balloon creation shot down. There is no evidence that it is a spy balloon

[@FloridaMan69.]

if you look closely it says made in china

[@Americanbadashh]

Every does these days

[@jhua8173]

Ok made in china tags are used by other manufacturers that take from china and real “made in china” is “made in p.r.c.” Which stands for peoples republic of China. Many people don’t know this and I find it funny

[@wellokayyes1266]

Just like joe.

[@sd906238]

It was big, it was round, beyond that absolutely nothing. Here I summed up this video for you.

[@godhelpus4686]

When Milley says the Chinese spy balloon wasn’t spying hahahahahhabahahahabahhahahahaha

[@benjamin48th]

It collected data in 4K

[@dee-vee]

Headline says "spy balloon" while content disproves that it was one. lolll Good job with that comedy, expected nothing less. USA corporate mass media considers its audience to be big idiots.

[@christopherburks458]

We've learned that CBS will repeat the talking points of the U.S. Government without question.

[@mnguardianfan7128]

OK then, tell me what the truth is....

[@dritemolawzbks8574]

​@@mnguardianfan7128He doesn't know. He just wants China to win so badly that he hates US media and anything connected to American strength.

[@tomtube1012]

@@mnguardianfan7128 The truth is they just made a big deal out of nothing.

[@fluxcapacitor1621]

They're reporting the news. Only a fool would expect them to do otherwise.

[@keithm9337]

And as we have learned, whatever happened we will never get the truth from this administration.

[@DucaTech]

Are these intelligence the same one that said Iraq had WMD?

[@wellokayyes1266]

👍🏼

[@ImTJandMJ]

no it's the intelligence of this thing called the EL/M-2075 Phalcon. that is a plane with an additional part added to the nose for surveillance etc. VERY DANGEROUS WEAPON! my theory is they have sent an isolated version over out skies. only India israel China and Chile have this thing and it came out in the 90's. I don't think it was simply a weather balloon. this radar attachment can target up to 100 things at once at over a distant of 200 nautical miles. we are only a few thousand miles wide as a nation. I think it was somthing much more sinister.

[@bminusconstruction4212]

And the GasLighting Continues

[@world0n99]

We learned how to smear campaign issues by media

[@mickDBP]

The spy balloon which isn't a spy balloon can't have any of its hardware or software released for transparency because it's confidential in nature. Doesn't smell right to me.

[@Derail07]

Im so sick of the LIES

[@ThatFaceMelter94]

Just because they aren’t echoing what you want to believe, doesn’t mean it’s a lie. Check yourself.

[@yelleryoung5870]

Well vote Blue next time.

[@captaincapitalism264]

@@yelleryoung5870 The country did, and this is what we got. Crazy, creepy uncle Joe allowing a Chinese spy balloon to traverse the entire country, slowing down and lingering over multiple U.S. military installations before doing anything about it...but oh no, it wasn't a spy balloon. 🙄

[@wellokayyes1266]

State tv media in bed with democrats. Are you really surprised.

[@clive3490]

saying the balloon had no inteligence on it keeps the chinese on their toes, though. From the chinese perspective, did the thing fail? or do the americans not want to admit that there WAS something, if so what and where?

[@apuntes8883]

They initially called it a huge ice asteroid falling into the sea .

[@Andrico77]

Don’t believe it for one second.

[@Redpilled66]

I'm not American, but the way the US lost its mind over a f*ckin balloon was one of the most funniest thing I've seen in my life. It was straight out of a Monty Python or South Park sketch. I was literally laughing for days everytime it was on the news. It was getting more ridiculous by the day. The sheer hysteria was mind blowing. I will remember it for the rest of my life. Pure comedy gold. I was crying with laughter when you spent millions of dollars shooting down a 100 dollar weather balloon. And now the Pentagon admits it wasn't a friggin spy balloon. Genius comedy. Brilliant. US never fails at their sheer predictability of stupidity. Chefs kiss.

[@MrBookertjones]

It floated close to two weeks… insane the government just didn’t shoot it down to begin with.

[@Redpilled66]

@@MrBookertjones Why shoot down a 100 dollar weather balloon?

[@liangmeng7436]

Using millions of dollars to smear China worldwide is worth the money spent

[@mikeyhuerta9061]

Back in ww2 the Japanese sent balloons with bombs across the ocean most failed but one actually landed without detonating and killed a family camping decades later so it’s probably a legitimate concern

[@GHOSTBOT-Stake]

your clearly not in the loop of you ACTUALLY think it's a weather ballon

[@JeffreySmith7777]

We learned: American's military needs two, not one $250,000 missile's to shoot one down!!!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@ERWrestler90]

It only took one...

[@JeffreySmith7777]

@@ERWrestler90 , nope

[@dee-vee]

Most estimates say it has cost a total of around $2M (support and logistics for that jet fighter and for the retrieval of that silly balloon) for all that entertainment. The missiles costs between $400,000-500,000 apiece.

[@Posark]

0:50 that’s nice, Chinese always appreciate when we are nice and polite

[@brokenbutwhole8361]

Well they just had to call Biden and tell him what narrative he needed to send out. He has no choice but comply with his masters.

[@grt49er]

That balloon can really only be one thing. This has nothing to do with nice to China. We had the technology to shoot down anytime. Shooting it down would have been a bad idea.

[@mikesxoom]

Did it have cameras? Antennas ?

[@captaincapitalism264]

It was the length of a commuter bus. That's not including those immense solar panels. Of course it had spy gear.

[@cabasadefogo9533]

duh? It is amazing in the age of satellites that can see if you have a pimple on your face. People in this country would believe that China would need to spy using a weather ballon 🤣

[@daneshpalkhiwalla7964]

sir we had a plan Z, we nuke it

[@kosmokritikos9299]

China is not as bad as they want you to think it is.

[@OFFICIAL_GIL]

So how is it classified as a spy balloon 🎈 if it didn’t spy 😮. Wouldn’t it not just be a Chinese balloon that violated us air space which in my opinion should be grounds for nuclear war and the end of humanity 🤣🤔

[@ThatFaceMelter94]

It has the capability to spy, but wasn’t. Very simple to understand.

[@kleroterion1196]

It's a spy balloon, but is now alleged that it was turned off while over the US.

[@kenho-wr5ul2rh7m]

every developed country release these type of climate balloons every year this is where the data from weather report come from every year numerous balloons from different countries fly through north hemisphere, like 13-20 american balloons flew through china the air space law normally excludes weather/climate purpose balloons

[@tomtube1012]

@@ThatFaceMelter94 And what is that capability? Why is there no details? All smoke and mirrors. They made a big deal out of nothing. Very simple to understand.

[@ERWrestler90]

@@tomtube1012 Did you not watch the video? What would convince you? Personally seeing the remains of the baloon? We all suspected it was a spy balloon, it had the equipment on it to spy, but they were never activated in our airspace. What more do you want?

[@Dhairyasd]

So the worst thing that happened is that people jumped to conclusions before they knew what they were looking it.

[@Americanbadashh]

It was better when the public thought it was a UFO

[@boiscooka232]

​@@Americanbadashh😂 American is So free that they believe everything

[@noahpatterson5667]

It should have never bn allowed to map out everyroad, ofcourse joe works for chinese, joe opened the borders so more chinese can freely enter

[@wellokayyes1266]

No, the worst thing that happened was surveillance of US airbases transmitted to China.... Kind of a nice try though? 😄

[@kail9777]

No. It is an attempt to undermine them right or wrong and has serious consequences for business and politics. I bet you some senators still believe it is a spy balloon. In fact they call it that.

[@DrivinginNewYorkCityNYC]

The Chinese Company already said it was a weather balloon.

[@redcomet0079]

And you believe them? Lmao naïve

[@ERWrestler90]

@@redcomet0079 @redcomet0079 Let me guess, you dont trust the government, scientists, academia, or mainstream news, do you? Oh you must be so enlightened

[@prestonnorris9822]

@@redcomet0079 I’ve been concerned what kind of chemicals may have been in the balloons, and how might this have affected weather?

[@xiuchengmu1849]

@@redcomet0079Of course! Otherwise, you would have to believe the Americans. Remember Iraq has WMD?

[@redcomet0079]

@@xiuchengmu1849 Another CCP bot 🤖

[@Ef554rgcc]

So there are various theories as to what it was doing but the balloon definitely wasn't collecting any form of intelligence.

[@Shining237]

It was all based on a lie 🎈

[@air-bf5403]

99.9999% of the negative things about China were based on lies and tailored reports.

[@marco168888]

You think if it was a spy ballon they would at least used a blue ballon for the sky? Not a white one

[@caroad2008]

We learned that you can probably find those parts on the shelves of big W and HF.

[@kramnoslaw4474]

You can almost bet they where spying there just not telling us

[@orbitalpotato9940]

The sensors on the balloon were never used

[@captaincapitalism264]

@@orbitalpotato9940 Sure...

[@orbitalpotato9940]

@@captaincapitalism264 don't believe me, im just reiterating the words of the highest ranking general in the US military.

[@ThePowerLover]

@@orbitalpotato9940Bruh.

[@ssgoh4968]

Blinken looks like a blinking fool😂😂

[@hongkongchina2048]

A balloon which did not spy almost created WWIII! Congratulations on your propaganda! 😅

[@yelleryoung5870]

Go on, I love MAGA fan fiction.

[@hongkongchina2048]

@@yelleryoung5870 Didn’t the American regime act out of proportion and fan the unnecessary flame of the deteriorating relationships between China and America, while nothing was spied? Genius!

[@yelleryoung5870]

@@hongkongchina2048 Sometimes deplomicy requires a little saber rattle.

[@hongkongchina2048]

@@yelleryoung5870 then lives with consequences!

[@yelleryoung5870]

@@hongkongchina2048 Yup, now as it was always reported that Russia was stronger than China, do you think the us has anything at all to fear from China? Their 'stealth' fighters fire unguided rockets.

[@novaboy1174]

JFK had to deal with the Cuban Missile Crisis and Biden had to deal with....the Chinese Balloon Crisis...oh how the times have changed 😂

[@ERWrestler90]

Cuban Missile Crisis was during the containment of Communism. Biden is engaged in containment of Russian aggression in Ukraine. If anything, the CMC pales in comparison to Putins invasion of Ukraine and the crises that follow.

[@zroqs]

🤣🤣

[@noahpatterson5667]

Yup, joe works for china

[@theresehopkins1581]

Thank goodness the only problem was panicked individuals jumping to conclusions!!! 🙄❤

[@fredfrond6148]

And once again the US causing bad feeling from China. For the record this was not covered on CNN.

[@noahpatterson5667]

Chinese gonna invade

[@edwbh]

So now we have to believe this😢😢😢

[@Aus200]

So it was a spy balloon, got it.

[@Americanbadashh]

No. They blew hundreds of thousands of tax payer dollars on a non-threat. That's the reality of it.

[@orbitalpotato9940]

No it's just a regular balloon.

[@joeyharper4976]

​@@orbitalpotato9940A "regular balloon" doesn't have satellites at the bottom of them. 😒

[@larrywhittaker9901]

SOO we owe China an APOLOGY ??? Hope someone is working on that IF TRUE !! IF not MORE OF THE USUAL political PROPAGANDA

[@BinkyStalls]

10% to the Big Guy.

[@didact777]

2:57 lets go brandon !!!!

[@MrGigaHurtz]

LoL Milley is so full of it! It's easier for them to just lie and say it didn't do anything than to to tell the truth and have to answer why they didn't see it coming or why they didn't shoot it down right away

[@nipplegripple8581]

Isnt Milley the guy who told the Chinese military what was going on when Trump was in office???? He was critisized over this. Like or hate Trump, it was a wierd thing to do. Maybe the sensors had never been activated due to a malfunction. Chinese made, and reliability is not excactly stuff of legend!

[@mt643356]

They admitted that they were wrong?

[@musicalADD_theband]

I thought it was a Canadian university’s weather balloon

[@LOADEDPISTOL]

Nope that’s definitely a high altitude surveillance ballon

[@ellvtv2314]

Well, America shot it with a $300,000 missile when they could have just shot with with conventional bullets. Nice job!

[@imkeerock]

Believe it or not bullets would not have worked. Bullets would make holes in the balloon, no doubt, but wouldn't have caused enough damage to bring the balloon down. The Canadians learned this a while ago when they tried to shoot down a balloon with the gun on an F18. They too figured, why waste the money using a missile. Save money and use bullets. They hit it but it didn't bring it down. It kept flying for I think another week.

[@kevint1911]

Also the gun on fighter aircraft is good (accurate) for a relatively short range. The air is very thin at 60,000 feet so you have to fly fast for your planes wings to supply lift. This means that you if you are flying directly at the balloon you have a very short window to fire accurate rounds before you have to veer away to avoid a collision. Additionally the goal was to hit the balloon and not the electronics because they wanted to not destroy the electronics so they could examine them. It makes a lot more sense to use an expensive missile than to try to save money using bullets and risk a collision with the balloon and possibly lose a $150 million dollar jet.

[@dee-vee]

Most estimates say it has cost a total of around $2M (support and logistics for that jet fighter and for the retrieval of that silly balloon) for all that entertainment.

[@DaddyHensei]

Bullets don’t pop balloons of that size. It also takes alot of ammo to down a balloon. Look at WWI war balloons to see how much ammo it takes.

[@dee-vee]

@@DaddyHensei lol but it's not a "war balloon" -- it's a weather balloon. It was much cheaper to just let it be but hysteria got the better of the "most powerful" nation of the world.

[@wfparrish3]

The Chinese kindergarten children who built the balloon only spied on their counterparts for fun. They expected our children to return the favor to them.

[@ssgoh4968]

Do you have a plan B in case the balloon fights back?

[@Paxsina]

…. So the conclusion after experts in America shifted through the wreckage was the same as what the Chinese said when confronted about it in the first place, that it was blown off track by the weather…? 🙄

[@WHATSAHANDLEIDKIDK]

I thought it was a google maps satellite imagery camera

[@paulwright8378]

"So what is it" a white hole, famous line from "Red Dwarf" 😂

[@karalyndurnell]

Hey the military could have asked them where the plane went instead of asking the public to do their job for them!😂 Talk about using resources wisely...

[@gathrightcrystal]

No intel collected like that laptop was a Russian hoax I guess

[@an.american]

What we've learned is that Biden allowed it.

[@yelleryoung5870]

So that means tRump allowed it for his entire term as per his agreement with Xi for the patients for tRumps daughter. Biden had them shot down. Now give me the MAGAlternate version where Biden himself launched them from China.

[@ERWrestler90]

He shot it down and in retrospect, it was nothing.

[@an.american]

@@ERWrestler90 In retrospect, it was spying on American military installations. Do you think Biden pocketed all that money from China for nothing.

[@captaincapitalism264]

@@ERWrestler90 It was nothing...despite LINGERING over multiple U.S. military sites on our soil as the "wind carried it"....uh-huh...

[@wellokayyes1266]

@@ERWrestler90 He shot it down, DAYS after it entered US airspace. Have you ever heard of a satellite? Do you know what they are for 😒Transmitting informationnnnn! I'm trying to be nice here bc I don't know your age but cmon have a little more common sense.

[@Alexa-hh8so]

meanwhile usa flying U2 spyplanes over every other goddman nation in the world

[@mikesxoom]

Omg hopefully this is just tradecraft... not that we are complete idiots

[@spfxartist]

Probably Dropping Millions of Ticks across the U.S.

[@germanbeer2466]

F35 vs balloon

[@kwaynr1301]

Everytime l need a laugh l think of the Americans and their 'spy' balloon.😂😂

[@hnss1383]

What a shame for US f22 history: the first shotdown was a bolloon!

[@outlawbillionairez9780]

$ trillion dollar a year US military and Comatose Joe shot down a kid's birthday party balloon! Congrats.

[@clive3490]

Trump would have ignored it?

[@outlawbillionairez9780]

@@clive3490 Since these weather balloons, from several countries, enter US air space, yeah, probably trump wouldn't pretend it's a Chinese attack.

[@yelleryoung5870]

@@clive3490 He did for his entire term.

[@yelleryoung5870]

@@outlawbillionairez9780 He owed Xi.

[@clive3490]

@@outlawbillionairez9780 they didn't KNOW what it was until they took action and shot it down

[@Streetbike_Tommy]

Could be used as a future EMP. Not great they are testing this stuff

[@kelly3560]

Air Force find that F35 they jumped out of in South Carolina yet ?

[@armanboncales2928]

to stealthy they cant find it

[@Ed_Stuckey]

1:28 _the particular motor on that aircraft can't go against those winds at that altitude_ Yet it's able to do this: "The U.S. government has declined to say which sites the Chinese balloon surveyed. It appeared to travel near sensitive U.S. bases including Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, which oversees 150 intercontinental ballistic missile silos, and Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, home to U.S. Strategic Command, which is in charge of nuclear forces. It also appeared to drift over Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, which operates the Air Force's B-2 bomber." ~Reuters

[@veramae4098]

Turned out it was turned off. Whether by accident or incompetence, either way the Chinese look silly.

[@johno9507]

Mate you can fly over the middle of outback Australia and there's a US military base...they're everywhere.

[@GenYGaming]

The fact people actually believe it was not spying is the part that is worrying.

[@lunarthief6501]

No mention of the balloon loitering over bases or the U2 monitoring and jamming signals. I wonder if the water "turned if off"

[@CodeMeat]

@@GenYGaming you know what is more worrying? You washed sheep civilization only can see the "Chinese spy balloon" when you googling balloon but have absolutely no idea the existence like WindBorne Balloon W-273 etc

[@toddmuehling2818]

Soooooo they tried to map Hawaii with the ballon and a fail That’s why they used lasers to map it in January Then used microwave weapons to melt Lahaina and Maui

[@drywallsurgeon]

Some argued at the time that the balloon should have been immediately shot down. What would have happened if the balloon had been shot down immediately? If it had been carrying demolitions? Discretion 1. the quality of behaving or speaking in such a way as to avoid causing offense or revealing private information. 2. the freedom to decide what should be done in a particular situation.

[@MrGmarrone]

Well if it was carrying "demolitions" they would have blown up in the air over Alaska and most likely the debris would have landed in the middle of nowhere.

[@LifeBloodMarketing]

1:05 Can you explain? 1:55 Ooo.

[@marco168888]

Mrs Murkowski - I am very angry! 😂 come on man… us chinese have enough pictures and photos alone just from google earth!

[@Menyhard]

Ok i believe you😅

[@laasta2]

his first thought was it must be aliens????

[@shermrock345]

And who cares if the sencors weren't activated they still sent it

[@machrijam]

What a storm in a teacup. Ha ha ha. Oh, let’s not talk about the other three....

[@shaunitai]

looks like the moon ffs.

[@premierpollo]

Starbucks and China

[@dutchflats]

So what was the intent of the Chinese by launching this balloon, what was its real purpose? Pardon me if I don't instantly accept Milley's explanation regarding China without a large grain of salt.

[@markstrickland8736]

My BS meter is pegging out.

[@Awaken2067833758]

You don't have a BS meter

[@markstrickland8736]

@@Awaken2067833758 You know this how, Einstein?

[@ambika7793]

Love you

[@clivecottam1509]

planned a mission to shoot down a balloon lol

[@captaincapitalism264]

Logistics can run from the micro to the macro in scale, in every military operation. How many planes, which pilots among the available pool, how much ordinance, how much fuel, taking off from where, trajectory of the target...yes, PLANNED.

[@clivecottam1509]

@@captaincapitalism264 lol right Planned!

[@karlthemel2678]

Nena would say: ´99 Luftballons, ... ihrem Weg zum Horizont hielt man fuer UFOs aus dem All... . Darum schickte ein General eine Fliegerstaffel hinterher... 99 Duesenflieger, alle waren grosse Krieger, hielten sich für Captain Kirk...´, but it was only one balloon, and the US Air Force sent two jet fighters. It is unknown whether the pilots felt like Captain Kirk.

[@drumtwo4seven]

C'MON TRITENESS JUST SAY IT WASN'T A SPY BALLOON COLLECTING INFO THEN LEAVE IT

[@a.j.garrett9639]

Interesting, but who in their right minds trusts the news networks anymore?

[@grahamstrouse1165]

As opposed to Random Dude on the Internet who does his “research” with “facts and logic?” Don’t have have a bridge to mind, little troll?

[@christineharris9183]

You only have learned what they have told you which is nothing

[@vern0018]

A total waste of time 4min34sec.

[@johnwood6640]

What a load of crap! Do they really expect us to believe this?

[@Xrey-ek5sh]

So what? You think the US wouldn’t take this opportunity for more anti China rhetoric when given a chance? 😂🤣

[@dragonboy718]

cheena wouldve shot ours down, ...crash their economy!!!

[@ethercreatures]

Why didn't Canada take care of it?

[@surf2257]

because we have potato equipement paid full price for old tech. And Turdo is a communist...

[@Awaken2067833758]

Why would anyone destroy a weather baloon?

[@Americanbadashh]

@@surf2257 You have no clue what communism is do you?

[@joeyharper4976]

​@@Awaken2067833758Imagine being naive.

[@Americanpatriot-zo2tk]

What do you expect from people that are 5 foot yellow shiny skin and slits for eyes!

[@W.Cambridge]

I don't believe it .

[@alexisamaya8410]

B.S it did not.

[@Zxxy]

It doesnt matter what is in the airspace. If you are sneaking around without notifiing us. We already see the slaves in yah nation. We see hongkong CHina lied to ROYALTY about individual freedoms. Sometimes you can trust sometimes you must not.

[@defensegeneral9893]

It was spy balloon but it wasn’t spying??

[@LifeBloodMarketing]

They never said it wasn't spying, they only said it didn't collect anything they considered intelligent.

[@UnitedSnakesOfAmerica1]

What if it was a false flag operation to fool us and leaders such as in Taiwan and North Korea? The US and China are secretly allies, not enemies at all.

[@noahpatterson5667]

Milley is a liar

[@jarrodyuki7081]

isf esjfj are backups!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! stable backups!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@jeffbenn2378]

Bullpucky!!!

[@AlienTech-bk5xl]

People are supposed to believe it takes 2 missiles to take down a balloon? This craft has helped us greatly in Reverse-Engineering. Thankyou for your lies.

[@piuli95]

Especially people who dont know how heat seeking missiles work. Theyre not magick homing missiles we see in movies and in games. They can be fooled quite easily, especially flares, and what the balloon did was basiacly a flare, a sunlight reflecting from balloons surface straight to missiles sensors.

[@tonysiragusano5149]

Looks like China is owed an apology and a brand new balloon.

[@johno.9185]

It’s all about News Producing, LIES producing!

[@Vikingswest1]

Nothing to see here. Don't believe your lying eyes. Trust us. A little kid lost their balloon, that's all 😅

[@standubaj8989]

What a lie

[@berticusmaximus8381]

Well, there you go. They said it, so it must be true. Thanks MSM and government officials! 👍

[@user-ph6yu4rt3e]

Spy balloon? 美国人的平均智商是多少？