Could be another balloon.
**IF TRUE** let’s explore what the ÇÇP might be doing with a global balloon surveillance/warfare program:
1/🧵
**IF TRUE** let’s explore what the ÇÇP might be doing with a global balloon surveillance/warfare program:
1/🧵
https://twitter.com/pulte/status/1624828876122718210
First off, let’s get something out of the way: this doable today. Remember Project Loon at Google “X”?
None of that “That’s impossible!” Stuff in the comments.
computer.howstuffworks.com/google-loon.htm
2/
None of that “That’s impossible!” Stuff in the comments.
computer.howstuffworks.com/google-loon.htm
2/
My guess is they would have first designed a single platform and control system, built around a “bus” with certain parameters. X amount of power. Y degree of connectivity. Z weight.
Get that working. Make sure it can perform.
3/
3/
Get that working. Make sure it can perform.
3/
3/
Then, you hand it over to the payload designers. One imagines the easiest thing to do first is cameras.
For those who say “but muh satellites,” just remember, you can get a LOT closer, and ballon’s are probably significant cheaper, and have longer “persistence.”
4/
For those who say “but muh satellites,” just remember, you can get a LOT closer, and ballon’s are probably significant cheaper, and have longer “persistence.”
4/
Once they have EO/IR, I bet they would have expanded out beyond imagery collection, to SIGINT.
Here again, we get cheap persistence, and probably decent connectivity via SATCOM.
5/
Here again, we get cheap persistence, and probably decent connectivity via SATCOM.
5/
After SIGINT, things get spicy. I would start looking at kinetic capabilities.
What can you put on a balloon? Someone smart told me their back-of-the-napkin math was that an EMP at 40,000 feet could take out a 500-mile-diameter area. “Big if true,” as they say.
6/
What can you put on a balloon? Someone smart told me their back-of-the-napkin math was that an EMP at 40,000 feet could take out a 500-mile-diameter area. “Big if true,” as they say.
6/
Finally, I would start looking at novel operational constructs.
Sure, you can launch them from mainland China, but what about ÇÇP warships?
… what about ÇÇP-controlled container ships carrying civilian cargo?
Endless possibilities.
7/
Sure, you can launch them from mainland China, but what about ÇÇP warships?
… what about ÇÇP-controlled container ships carrying civilian cargo?
Endless possibilities.
7/
And those novel operational constructs might give you new ideas for new platforms. Smaller balloons. Bigger balloons. And so on.
The development cycle would start anew.
8/
The development cycle would start anew.
8/
That’s all I have for now. But just remember: the world of asymmetric technologies offers many such opportunities.
We ignore them at our own peril!
9/9
We ignore them at our own peril!
9/9
If you’ve read this far you might as well retweet the top tweet so we can really drive them up a wall:
https://twitter.com/JoshuaSteinman/status/1624919180096184320
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