While the balloon angle is hilarious in itself, what does this balloon look like that it would gain the attention of the military and require engagement?
El Paso Airspace Closed for 10 Days
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Last: 1 mo ago by Burdizzo
Probably like this one.
U.S. military source just told me the same: this was DHS: “Every General and Admiral at NORTHCOM is pissed that DHS did an operation and told no one because homeland defense is what NORTHCOM does. Even the base commander at Ft. Bliss called the Pentagon and NORTHCOM furious about… https://t.co/P3GY0fo6Ip
— Michael Weiss (@michaeldweiss) February 11, 2026
“According to a U.S. official, the directed energy/laser counter drone technology was in CBP's control when the balloon was mistakenly shot down near El Paso, Texas earlier this week,” per Fox’s @Liz_Friden
— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) February 11, 2026
“In January, Defense Secretary Hegseth signed an agreement for the…
DoD blaming DHS...
the blame game on this one is going to be entertaining at least.
I mean if you gave me a laser I would find an excuse to use it.
Nom de Plume said:
So is Duffy FOS or completely unaware of the truth?
I'd go with both
Well, they need to practice on something.
P.U.T.U said:
I mean if you gave me a laser I would find an excuse to use it.
Seriously? GDamnitt Kristi Noem!
Wildmen03 said:
While the balloon angle is hilarious in itself, what does this balloon look like that it would gain the attention of the military and require engagement?
Depends if they relied on visual ID or just operated off of a radar return.
In 1991 at Tyndall AFB, as a 2LT Weapons Director who had just completed a remote 1 year tour as a Weapons Director and Weapons Assignment Officer in the HTAC at Osan AB, ROK, I controlled an intercept with 2 x AD Alert F-16As on a target in the Gulf west of Florida.
The radar return (which we had been tracking for at least 30-40 minutes) presented as a slow moving (80-110 kts), very low level target (like a light aircraft being evasive) on track to go feet dry over southern Florida. The usual calls on UHF/VHF Guard were sent out with no response. So, fighters were launched.
I directed the fighters onto the target, but they could not get either a visual, or radar contact despite having been merged two or three times with the track. Given the radar return and speed of the target, we ASSUMED it was low and slow. Trying to think it through, I looked up at the WX board and noticed the winds aloft at 25K were from the west at 100 kts. Light bulb finally went on. Told them to look HIGH. They immediately got intermittent hits on their radar.
Directed the fighters to that altitude but they could not get a lock. So I directed them into visual range and low and behold.....it was a kids mylar circus balloon! The intermittent radar hits (which led us to think it was low and evasive) on both my radar system, and then the fighters systems at altitude, were because the balloon was twisting to-and-fro in the wind stream.
Just an example of how things can get misinterpreted when you are expecting one thing to be happening based on experience, or just anticipation of a type of event, and it's something else completely.
At least they were paying attention. lol
They seriously thought a balloon was a drone…most incompetent administration of all time. This is the kind of **** that happens when you appoint Fox News hosts, conspiracy theorists, and maga loyalists who are not competent or qualified for their roles.
Pylon Cam said:
They seriously thought a balloon was a drone…most incompetent administration of all time. This is the kind of **** that happens when you appoint Fox News hosts, conspiracy theorists, and maga loyalists who are not competent or qualified for their roles.
What a life you live lol
Pylon Cam said:
They seriously thought a balloon was a drone…most incompetent administration of all time. This is the kind of **** that happens when you appoint Fox News hosts, conspiracy theorists, and maga loyalists who are not competent or qualified for their roles.
From a user whose best president ever let a verified chinese spy balloon transit the entire US, including flyovers of several sensitive military sites before shooting it down off the east coast, that criticism is pretty weak sauce.
Pylon Cam said:
They seriously thought a balloon was a drone…most incompetent administration of all time. This is the kind of **** that happens when you appoint Fox News hosts, conspiracy theorists, and maga loyalists who are not competent or qualified for their roles.
10 bucks says the clown who made the call is a Biden legacy recruit who just wants to understand white rage and thinks dudes in dresses make for good soldiers.
They should have let it fly over military bases all over the nation insteadPylon Cam said:
They seriously thought a balloon was a drone…most incompetent administration of all time. This is the kind of **** that happens when you appoint Fox News hosts, conspiracy theorists, and maga loyalists who are not competent or qualified for their roles.
Can we all just put politics aside for a minute? That poor balloon was just trying to live its best life.
Pylon Cam said:
They seriously thought a balloon was a drone…most incompetent administration of all time. This is the kind of **** that happens when you appoint Fox News hosts, conspiracy theorists, and maga loyalists who are not competent or qualified for their roles.
See:
carl spacklers hat said:FlyRod said:
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-military-shot-down-party-balloon-near-el-paso-after-suspecting-drone-official-says
Real sharp folks. Glad we're now safe from party balloons.
Your boy let a Chinese spy balloon float across the entirety of the United States. Might want to sit this one out, chief.
Pylon Cam said:
They seriously thought a balloon was a drone…most incompetent administration of all time. This is the kind of **** that happens when you appoint Fox News hosts, conspiracy theorists, and maga loyalists who are not competent or qualified for their roles.
Lighten up Francis. Mistakes are made. But it's not a purposeful destruction of our nation by allowing millions of unvetted foreigners into our country.
Never trust Govt. Lied to from the start. Probably half of the history we learn in school is not the truth.
K2-HMFIC said:U.S. military source just told me the same: this was DHS: “Every General and Admiral at NORTHCOM is pissed that DHS did an operation and told no one because homeland defense is what NORTHCOM does. Even the base commander at Ft. Bliss called the Pentagon and NORTHCOM furious about… https://t.co/P3GY0fo6Ip
— Michael Weiss (@michaeldweiss) February 11, 2026“According to a U.S. official, the directed energy/laser counter drone technology was in CBP's control when the balloon was mistakenly shot down near El Paso, Texas earlier this week,” per Fox’s @Liz_Friden
— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) February 11, 2026
“In January, Defense Secretary Hegseth signed an agreement for the…
DoD blaming DHS...
the blame game on this one is going to be entertaining at least.
As I've always said, there's no more entertaining administration than this one.
Yes, I am entertained.
Now to go rib my buddies in BP.
There are in fact two things, science and opinion; the former begets knowledge, the later ignorance. Hippocrates
I don't understand why NORTHCOM would think a cartel operated drone would be their issue to deal with. A cartel drone would typically be conducting criminal activity. That's DHS.
If the drone had a weapon targeting something on US soil, I can see NORTHCOM getting involved.
They probably need to tabletop this out a bit.
If the drone had a weapon targeting something on US soil, I can see NORTHCOM getting involved.
They probably need to tabletop this out a bit.
ts5641 said:Pylon Cam said:
They seriously thought a balloon was a drone…most incompetent administration of all time. This is the kind of **** that happens when you appoint Fox News hosts, conspiracy theorists, and maga loyalists who are not competent or qualified for their roles.
Lighten up Francis. Mistakes are made. But it's not a purposeful destruction of our nation by allowing millions of unvetted foreigners into our country.
Instead of trying to play a very dumb game of whataboutism and launching ad hominems, how about we acknowledge the following:
1) Allowing a foreign weather balloon to fly across the entire county was very stupid and it should have been shot down before it reached our shores;
2) Shooting down a party balloon is a gross violation of firearms safety rule #4, and someone probably needs some additional training so they know what they're shooting at.
Instead of tolerating the government playing the blame game and lying to us, someone should be called on the carpet for both of these events.
the truth here is neither political party had much to do with either situation. Both were a failure of situational awareness at lower levels. Lessons will be learned. I think too many give too much blame and credit to higher levels of govt on defense related manners. They don't understand how massive these organizations are.HTownAg98 said:ts5641 said:Pylon Cam said:
They seriously thought a balloon was a drone…most incompetent administration of all time. This is the kind of **** that happens when you appoint Fox News hosts, conspiracy theorists, and maga loyalists who are not competent or qualified for their roles.
Lighten up Francis. Mistakes are made. But it's not a purposeful destruction of our nation by allowing millions of unvetted foreigners into our country.
Instead of trying to play a very dumb game of whataboutism and launching ad hominems, how about we acknowledge the following:
1) Allowing a foreign weather balloon to fly across the entire county was very stupid and it should have been shot down before it reached our shores;
2) Shooting down a party balloon is a gross violation of firearms safety rule #4, and someone probably needs some additional training so they know what they're shooting at.
Instead of tolerating the government playing the blame game and lying to us, someone should be called on the carpet for both of these events.
#1 was a failure at the highest levels, a President and administration who failed to protect the country
#2 was a local level failure
#2 was a local level failure
Wrong. The Chinese balloon was a weeks long incident with tons of publicity. The recent one was a short term decision by local agents. It probably never got above the El Paso office in the decision process
#1 failure in my opinion was not understanding what the balloon was earlier and recognizing the best time to shoot it down would have been over Alaska...believe the payload was over 1,000 lbs and the fear was debris dropping on populated areas. I believe joe wanted to shoot it down earlier and was advised to wait until it was over water.
Like the FAA underling who overreacted and authorized closure of the El Paso airspace for 10 days without notifying the WH?HTownAg98 said:ts5641 said:Pylon Cam said:
They seriously thought a balloon was a drone…most incompetent administration of all time. This is the kind of **** that happens when you appoint Fox News hosts, conspiracy theorists, and maga loyalists who are not competent or qualified for their roles.
Lighten up Francis. Mistakes are made. But it's not a purposeful destruction of our nation by allowing millions of unvetted foreigners into our country.
Instead of trying to play a very dumb game of whataboutism and launching ad hominems, how about we acknowledge the following:
1) Allowing a foreign weather balloon to fly across the entire county was very stupid and it should have been shot down before it reached our shores;
2) Shooting down a party balloon is a gross violation of firearms safety rule #4, and someone probably needs some additional training so they know what they're shooting at.
Instead of tolerating the government playing the blame game and lying to us, someone should be called on the carpet for both of these events.
Bull***** It was a spy balloon that should have been and could have been easily dispatched almost anytime. The government knew what it was and lied about it until it got all the way across the country and spied on multiple military sites. I believe that was a cognizant decision by someone who isn't America first.
We know Biden didn't make the decision because he was a vegetable, but someone let China spy across the entire nation.
We know Biden didn't make the decision because he was a vegetable, but someone let China spy across the entire nation.
Ellis Wyatt said:
Bull***** It was a spy balloon that should have been and could have been easily dispatched almost anytime. The government knew what it was and lied about it until it got all the way across the country and spied on multiple military sites. I believe that was a cognizant decision by someone who isn't America first.
We know Biden didn't make the decision because he was a vegetable, but someone let China spy across the entire nation.
Should have been shot down as soon as it entered our airspace. But in all reality there was no harm done besides us looking bad for not shooting it down. China has plenty of satellites that could give them the same information.
Biden was a damned vegetable. His administration failed us by not detecting and downing that thing over the pacific before it got to Alaska
You are my point exactly…to think that any president really affects many things at the tactical level is ignorance. "That administration"…"this administration." You realize it's 99% the same tactical military members, right? Yes, the balloon should have been recognized way sooner and shot down in Alaska. Yes, Pedro's party ballon should not have been shot down. In both circumstances, I believe better situational awareness at the tactical level could have changed things.
Fdsa said:
You are my point exactly…to think that any president really affects many things at the tactical level is ignorance. "That administration"…"this administration." You realize it's 99% the same tactical military members, right? Yes, the balloon should have been recognized way sooner and shot down in Alaska. Yes, Pedro's party balloon should not have been shot down. In both circumstances, I believe better situational awareness at the tactical level could have changed things.
To add a little levity to the situation... imagine poor Pedro at his backyard birthday party, surrounded by all his little friends and pointing excitedly at the sky where his party balloon is getting smaller and smaller... and then watching in horror as is zapped by a giant laser and plummets back to Earth, engulfed in flames.
That's exactly what I imagined when I first read this story. "Sorry kid."
Pylon Cam said:
They seriously thought a balloon was a drone…most incompetent administration of all time. This is the kind of **** that happens when you appoint Fox News hosts, conspiracy theorists, and maga loyalists who are not competent or qualified for their roles.
Embarrassing and so are the people who starred your post.
CanyonAg77 said:
#1 was a failure at the highest levels, a President and administration who failed to protect the country
#2 was a local level failure
Except for when the news got back to DC about what happened, they said it was a cartel drone. Either they had bad information, or they lied to everyone to save face.
You could have stopped there. You don't know what they may have gotten and more importantly, optics matter. They proved the Biden administration was feckless.docb said:
Should have been shot down as soon as it entered our airspace..
Since Biden was on their payroll, of course his administration wasn't going to do ***** If the potato had known about it, he would have made sure of that.
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