從歐噴講的飛走而被挖出的二戰氣球炸彈故事:
"有人真的想過用穩定的高空氣流這麼做,二戰時,日本就突發奇想,利用高空西風釋放氣球炸彈空襲美國。
因為氣球必須控制在10公里左右高度,才有比較穩定的西風氣流,因此日本氣象學家荒川秀俊的還特別設計自動調節裝置。
當氣球低於這個高度,氣壓會讓裝在氣球下的吊籃依序解開,讓沙袋按順序脫落。但超過這高度,又會讓氣球打開閥門排出氫氣,讓氣球下降。
另外氣球上裝有計時器,根據計算差不多要飛到美國時就會開始洩氣,掉下來引爆炸彈。設計完成後,日本在1944年底開始卯起來放汽球,大概是放了9000枚氣球炸彈。
雖然完全無法瞄準,並未打中任何有價值目標,但這9000枚氣球,也讓當時美國西岸常常發生森林火災。
因此美國後來分析出氣球裡面沙袋沙子的來源,還找出製造氫氣的工廠,就派B-29把日本的氣球發射地點和氫氣廠都炸了。另外因為美國封鎖消息,日本自己也以為氣球炸彈完全沒有戰果。1945年後就沒有發射氣球了。
後來戰後,荒川也被當作戰犯(這種行為等於無差別恐怖攻擊)判刑七年。"
https://www.facebook.com/takaogooday/photos/a.1048279918551368/5851843771528268/?type=3
這次氣球衍生的案外案:
"由於拜登政府官員披露此前4次中國氣球闖入事件都是事後才發現,也讓外界在消息曝光後關注美、加這片北美陸基雷達網絡辨識空中威脅的能力,尤其五角大廈週末時還稱中國有一整支「偵察氣球艦隊」,此前足跡遍及拉美、歐洲及亞洲。
幾位川普政府時代的國安高層都說,任內從未獲告知任何中方氣球闖入事件。"
現在揭露出來勢必要追究知情不報責任了:
[ The three breaches during the Trump administration were brief, one of the officials said, while the other instance occurred early in the Biden administration.
On Saturday, the defense official said that in the previous instances the Chinese balloons “transited the continental U.S. briefly” and for not nearly as long as the most recent balloon. At least one of those earlier intrusions was in 2019, other officials said. ]
擔心中國生氣已不在米國政壇的考量裡:
"The Administration may fear a public airing of the spy balloon fleet could inflame Beijing and preclude a calmer relationship. But the opposite may be true. The real worry should be that the incident blows over without consequences and China’s war hawks conclude that such provocations are manageable risks."
中國不僅監視著國內也用高空氣球窺伺其他國家:
"Balloons attributed to the Chinese surveillance program have been spotted in Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines and elsewhere. Following the attention on the balloon shot down by the U.S., Beijing confirmed this week that it was the source of a balloon detected flying over Latin America."
派氣球去人家家裡蒐集雷達之類的電子訊號這點就很不氣象啦~
[ “We know the PRC used these balloons for surveillance,” the official said. “High-resolution imagery from U-2 flybys revealed that the high-altitude balloon was capable of conducting signals intelligence collection operations.”
Signals intelligence refers to information that is gathered by electronic means – things like communications and radars. ]
https://edition.cnn.com/2023/02/09/politics/spy-balloon-technology/index.html
處在抗中第一線, 氣球比起共機共艦對台灣來說真的是小兒科:
[ Shen Ming-shih, a director at the military-backed Institute for National Defense and Security Research in Taipei, said balloons haven’t been a priority for Taiwan because it has had to deal with Beijing sending military aircraft near the island and firing missiles over Taiwan last summer following the visit by then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Mr. Shen also said there was a risk that aggressive action against balloons could trigger a military escalation. China considers self-ruled Taiwan a part of its territory and hasn’t ruled out trying to seize the island by force.
Maj. Gen. Huang said Taiwan’s military would only take action to deal with balloons that it thinks are posing a clear national security threat. He also said the military was looking into a move by the U.S. military to increase the sensitivity of its radar to better identify balloons.
“If these U.S. practices can be used as our references, of course we will consider them,” he said. ]
親中陣營一定會大喊為了和平不能打氣球:
"根據多國軍事與情報官員分析,出現在台灣上空的氣球,應是由中共中央軍委直轄的裝備發展部所研發,分別由解放軍空軍、以及火箭軍所施放,有關人士指出,這些氣球主要任務在蒐集可供雷達與飛彈系統運作用的大氣資訊。
報導引述華府智庫「大西洋理事會」(Atlantic Council)全球中國中心助理主任廖彥棻(Kitsch Liao)的說法,指出包括空氣壓力與密度等大氣特性,都能對飛彈在重返大氣層之後的精確度造成影響,一點小小的偏誤在高速度的因素下都會被放大。因此「在運算過程中,必須要有大量且充足的數據提供」,且由於不同季節或時間的大氣狀態變化極大,「所以有必要不斷地施放工具進行蒐集」。"
在大選前放氣球過來凸顯存在感真的很奇葩....
"Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense said it detected a Chinese balloon flying over the island on Monday, followed by three more balloons on Tuesday. The ministry has previously noted Chinese balloons floating near the island, but this is the first time authorities have reported the balloons crossing over it.
台灣國防部稱,周一探測到一個中國氣球飛越台灣島,周二又探測到三個氣球。該部以前曾注意到中國氣球漂浮在台灣島附近,但這是有關部門首次報告氣球飛越台灣島。"
中國大過年的一口氣放八顆空飄氣球過來騷擾真的很噁心:
“國軍也揭露,昨天有8枚中共空飄氣球逾越台灣海峽中線。根據空軍公布的航跡圖,其中第4枚在9日上午8時進入台中西北65浬,高度1萬5000呎,在9日上午9時52分在台灣本島上空消失;另外,第6枚在9日上午10時41分進入台中西北55浬,高度2萬呎,飄行軌跡橫越台灣本島北部上空,在9日下午12時32分消失在台灣東部海域。”
隨著中國頻頻出海,美日演習也拉高層級:
"去年訓練主要以現場的部隊訓練為主,今年則增加日美雙方司令部制定作戰計畫及對各部隊的指揮,希望進一步強化更高層級部門間合作。日美意圖藉由大規模聯合軍演來牽制中國。
這次軍演預計持續到3月17日止,日美將在鹿兒島縣沖永良部島及沖繩縣美軍一處訓練場進行登陸訓練,另外,美軍F-35B匿蹤戰機也預定在沖繩本島西側無人島進行射擊訓練。"