Apparently the infamous surveillance balloon got really warm earlier today. Quoting @w7voa@journa.host: https://journa.host/@w7voa/109808549003101808 #retoot

Post by Steve Herman. "Key points from a US defense official briefing reporters:  - #ChineseSpyBalloon entered US ADIZ Jan. 28, then entered airspace of #Canada and back in US on Jan. 31  -#ChineseSpyBalloon part of a fleet thas has spied on 5 continents  -#ChineseSpyBalloon intended to surveil sensitive US sites  -US seeks to recover payload of the balloon, debris field covers ~11 km -An F-22 engaged the #ChineseSpyBalloon with a single AIM-9X missle; there was no collateral damage" Posted on Feb 4, 2023 at 16:18 https://journa.host/@w7voa/109808549003101808

Why did NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, let this balloon wander into the United States Air Defense Identification Zone (“ADIZ”) and through the continental area? There are plenty of questions that need asking. The ADIZ is plenty big. I don’t think this is necessarily the last we’ll hear about this situation.

Apparently this is not the first time we’ve had one of these balloon transits either. The folks at the Pentagon are being a bit too open in a statement. Quoting @w7voa@journa.host: https://journa.host/@w7voa/109810436558981248 #retoot

Post by Steve Herman. "“Chinese balloons briefly transited the continental United States at least three times during the prior administration.” US Department of Defense defense.gov/News/News-Stories/…" Posted on Feb 5, 2023 at 00:18 https://journa.host/@w7voa/109810436558981248

The statement can be found at https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3288543/f-22-safely-shoots-down-chinese-spy-balloon-off-south-carolina-coast/ and https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3288535/statement-from-secretary-of-defense-lloyd-j-austin-iii/.