Tag Archives: F-22

Does Video Show F-22 Shooting China Spy Balloon?!

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Does a viral video show a close-up of the F-22 Raptor fighter jet shooting down the spy balloon from China?!

Take a look at the viral video, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Viral Video : Close-Up Of F-22 Shooting Spy Balloon From China!

This video is going viral on WhatsApp and social media platform, claiming to show a close-up of the F-22 Raptor fighter jet shooting down the spy balloon from China.

Screenshots of the video showing the F-22 fighter jet firing a missile at the spy balloon have also been used in some editorials in pro-CCP websites, and even a Falun Gong-affiliated website!

Recommended : Why US Shot Down Chinese Spy Balloon With Missile!

 

Truth : Viral Video Of F-22 Shooting Down Spy Balloon Is From Game!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp and social media platforms, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : F-22 Shoot Down Audio Is Genuine

First, I should point out that the audio in the video is genuine, and accurately depicts the communication between the F-22 pilots and Huntress (NORAD’s Eastern Air Defense Sector Controller) on an open channel that anyone can listen to.

The audio clip was apparently recorded by Ken Harrell, a 68 year-old retiree and aviation hobbyist, who was listening in. This was confirmed by US Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek:

The audio is authentic and depicts communication from the 1st Fighter Wing pilot confirming the aerial target was destroyed. It’s important to clarify this audio is communication between the pilot and air traffic control that can be heard by anyone on the same frequency

https://www.techarp.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Fake-video-of-F-22-firing-missile-at-Chinese-spy-balloon.mp4?_=1

Fact #2 : Audio Subtitles Are Wrong

However, the subtitles are mangled and at least partly wrong. Here is an abridged transcript of the audio communication between the F-22 pilots and air traffic control (Huntress) during the spy balloon shoot-down.

HUNTRESS : Five miles offshore.

FRANK01 : Frank One is switches hot.

FRANK02 : Frank Two is switches hot.

…..

HUNTRESS : HUNTRESS. Six miles offshore.

FRANK01 : FRANK01. Splash one! TOI 1.

HUNTRESS : HUNTRESS copy. Splash.

EAGLE02 : That is a t-kill. The balloon is completely destroyed.

EAGLE01 : There appears to be metal chaff cloud. It’s definitely metal breaking apart. Screen for an altitude check.

Fact #3 : Viral Video Was Edited From Game Video!

I traced the viral video to a YouTube channel called Growling Sidewinder, which posted the original video on 6 February 2023.

It appears that someone edited Growling Sidewinder’s video to remove the title sequence at the beginning, and the credit at the end, before sharing it on WhatsApp and social media.

Growling Sidewinder clearly stated that the video used the real audio recording, but the video itself was recreated using Digital Combat Simulator (DCS) – a flight simulation game released in 2008 by Eagle Dynamics and The Fighter Collection.

Last year, I fact checked a viral video purportedly depicting Russian forces shooting down NATO jets and helicopters. In that example, the fake news creator used footage from the video game, ArmA 3 (Armed Assault 3).

Read more : Did Russia Shoot Down NATO Jets + Helicopters In Ukraine?!

Fact #4 : F-22 Fired At A Long Distance

When I watched the video, I immediately knew that it was fake, because it showed the F-22 engaging the Chinese spy balloon at about the same altitude, and at a very short distance.

What many people may not realise is that the F-22 fighter jet fired its AIM-9X Sidewinder missile at a considerable distance away from the spy balloon. This was confirmed by numerous videos recorded by the public from a distance.

In addition, we also know that the F-22 fighter jet was only able to attain an altitude of 58,000 feet, while the Chinese spy balloon was much higher – at about 65,000 feet. The Chinese spy balloon was floating approximately 7,000 feet (2.1 km) above the F-22 fighter jet!

Based on the audio transcript, it took about 7 seconds for the Sidewinder missile, which travels at over Mach 2.5, to hit the spy balloon, roughly placing the F-22 about 6 kilometres away from the balloon when it fired the missile.

Fact #5 : The Spy Balloon Did Not Explode

If you watch the publicly released videos of the AIM-9X missile hitting the spy balloon  – and there are many, you would quickly realise that the viral video is fake, because it showed a large explosion.

The actual videos only show black and white smoke when the missile exploded next to the spy balloon’s payload.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Did US Paint Chinese Balloon Kill On F-22 Fighter Jet?!

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Did the US Air Force paint a balloon kill on the F-22 fighter jet that shot down the Chinese spy balloon?!

Take a look at the viral photo, and find out what the facts really are!

 

Claim : US Painted Chinese Balloon Kill On F-22 Fighter Jet!

Pro-CCP netizens are either mocking or criticising the US Air Force for painting a balloon kill on the F-22 fighter jet that shot down the Chinese spy balloon!

美军F-22战斗机创造了当今最高高度空中击杀记录：6万5千英尺。
据说回来后还给飞机纹了个图案纪念战功，你们说气人不？

The U.S. F-22 fighter jet has created the current record for the highest altitude air kill: 65,000 feet. It is said that after returning, he even tattooed a pattern on the plane to commemorate the military exploits. Don’t you think it is annoying?

Well here it is the #Balloon decal 😁

五毛：高射炮打蚊子‼️

北京时间2月5日03:39，从美国弗吉尼亚州兰利空军基地起飞的一架F-22战斗机，在近18000米（58000英尺）高度发射的一枚价值约40万美元的AIM-9X“响尾蛇”红外制导空空导弹，击落了一个在20000米左右（65000英尺）高度飞行的价值数百美元的中共高空气球，气球残骸随后坠落于南卡罗来纳州近海海域。

Fifty cents: anti-aircraft weapon hit mosquitoes‼ ️

At 03:39 on February 5, Beijing time, an F-22 fighter jet that took off from Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, USA, launched an AIM-9X worth about 400,000 US dollars at an altitude of nearly 18,000 meters (58,000 feet). The “Sidewinder” infrared-guided air-to-air missile shot down a CCP high-altitude balloon worth hundreds of dollars flying at an altitude of about 20,000 meters (65,000 feet), and the balloon wreckage then fell in the waters off the coast of South Carolina.

Recommended : Why US Shot Down Chinese Spy Balloon With Missile!

 

Truth : US Did Not Paint Chinese Balloon Kill On F-22 Fighter Jet!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS created and propagated by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and pro-CCP netizens, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : It Was First Official F-22 Air-to-Air Kill

First, we need to acknowledge that the shooting down of the Chinese spy balloon was officially the first air-to-air kill for the F-22 Raptor fighter jet.

Although the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor entered US Air Force service in December 2005, it has not engaged in any air-to-air combat. Its combat sorties had so far consisted of very limited bombing missions in the Middle East.

So shooting down the Chinese spy balloon was the first time the F-22 was “blooded” in air combat, albeit against an easy target that could not manoeuvre to evade, or fire back.

I mention this point because it is entirely possible and legitimate for the pilot to paint a balloon kill on his F-22 fighter jet.

Fact #2 : Viral Photo Was Edited From 2020 Photo

While it is possible that the F-22 fighter jet that shot down the Chinese spy balloon may sport a kill marking of some sort, there was no official release of any photo of such a kill marking or decal.

What I can confirm is that the viral photo was edited, by painting a white balloon onto a photo originally posted by the Edwards Air Force Base on April 3, 2020.

Here is a photo comparison I created, showing the Edwards Air Force Base Facebook post, and the fake viral photo.

Fact #3 : FRANK01 Flew From Langley Air Force Base

The viral photo shows an F-22 Raptor flown by Major Brandon Burfeind from the 411th Flight Test Squadron, based out of Edwards Air Force Base in California. His F-22 fighter jet has a fuselage number 007, and the airframe number 91-4007.

The F-22 Raptor that shot down the Chinese spy balloon was flown by an unnamed pilot using the callsign FRANK01, from the Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.

While we do not know the name or rank of the FRANK01 pilot yet, his F-22 fighter jet is definitely not the same as the one shown in the viral photo, as he is based on a different USAF base in a different state.

Interesting note : The FRANK01 callsign is an apparent homage to World War I Medal of Honor recipient First Lieutenant Frank Luke Jr., who is known as the “Arizona Balloon Buster” for shooting down 14 German balloons, as well as four planes.

Fact #4 : This Is Just Chinese Propaganda

This appears to be yet another example of Chinese propaganda created by the infamous Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), or pro-CCP netizens.

All of the wumao articles and videos that I looked at so far have proven to be false… at every instance. So please watch out for such false claims.

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Why US Shot Down Chinese Spy Balloon With Missile!

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Find out why the US Air Force shot down the Chinese spy balloon using an expensive $400,000 AIM-9X Sidewinder missile!

 

Claim : US Shot Down Spy Balloon Using Expensive Missile!

Pro-CCP netizens are mocking the US government for shooting down a cheap Chinese weather balloon using an expensive $400,000 AIM-9X Sidewinder missile!

US so panic of a balloon

they sent FOUR (4) fighter jets (2 x F-22s, 2 x F-15s) to “survey the situation”, before firing that $400k AIM-9x Sidewinder A2A missile to shoot the balloon down.

America used a $400,000 missile fired from a $216,000,000 fighter jet to shoot down…

… a weather balloon.

China can just send more balloons….

Recommended : Does Video Show F-22 Shooting China Spy Balloon?!

 

Why US Shot Down Chinese Spy Balloon With Missile!

This is yet another example of PROPAGANDA created and propagated by the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛), and pro-CCP netizens, and here are the reasons why…

Fact #1 : There Were Two Chinese Balloons

On Friday, February 3, 2023, China admitted that the massive balloon hovering over the US state of Montana belonged to them, but claimed that it was a weather balloon and not a spy balloon.

Later that same Friday, a second balloon was spotted over Latin America. It took China another 3 days to admit that it was theirs, and another “weather balloon” that was “blown off course”.

Fact #2 : Chinese Balloon Was Not A Weather Balloon

Weather balloons are common – thousands are launched daily across the world to collect information on the temperature, wind and moisture in the upper atmosphere.

Weather balloons are not very large – expanding from 6 feet (1.8 metres) to 20 feet (6 metres) in diameter as they rise in altitude. Their payloads are also small, consisting of a small box with a few sensors.

The Chinese weather balloon that the US Air Force just shot down is not only much larger at around 90 feet (27.5 metres) wide, it also has a very large payload that includes large solar panels, and even propellers to control its movement.

The kinds of weather balloons that are launched twice a day from Weather Service offices are typically just a little box that has a temperature sensor, relative humidity sensor, pressure sensor and then a little tiny transmitter. Based on the photos that have been going around, there’s obviously a lot more equipment on this one.
– Alexandra Anderson-Frey, Professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of Washington

Real weather balloons also do not travel far – they generally go up to a high altitude and stay there. Spy balloons, on the other hand, need to travel long distances. This Chinese balloon has travelled all the way from China to Alaska to Canada, before reaching the continental United States.

The reported characteristics of this balloon don’t really match anything that we’re familiar with. This has been traveling at a much longer distance than what would be these standard weather balloons.

[Standard weather balloons] go up over one particular place and up to about 50,000 feet in the atmosphere, and then that’s it, they’re done. They don’t travel large distances, so I think that there’s pretty significant differences between typical weather balloons and this reported balloon.
– Jonathan Porter, Chief Meteorologist at Accuweather

Recommended : Did Four Taiwan F-16 Fighters Just Defect To China?!

Fact #3 : Chinese Balloon Was At Very High Altitude

The US Air Force sent two F-22 Raptor stealth fighters to take down the spy balloon, with two F-15 fighters to probably take videos and photos of the event.

While Chinese netizens may snigger at how the USAF has to use such an expensive fighter jet to shoot down a cheap Chinese balloon, they ignore the fact that the Chinese spy balloon was operating at a very high altitude of about 65,000 feet – that’s 20 km above ground level!

The F-22 Raptor was likely chosen for the task as it was most capable of flying to such a high altitude while loaded with missiles. Many jet fighters have “similar” maximum service ceilings, but their true service ceilings are often much lower, limited by the amount of armament and/or fuel they carry.

Fact #4 : Missile Was Necessary To Shoot Down Balloon

In the end, the F-22 Raptor with the callsign FRANK01 attained an altitude of 58,000 feet (17.7 km) before firing an AIM-9X Sidewinder missile at the balloon. It was the first air-to-air combat kill for the F-22.

While Chinese netizens mocked the use of such an expensive missile, the AIM-9X Sidewinder is the smallest and cheapest air-to-air missile in the USAF arsenal.

It would be impossible for the F-22 Raptor pilot to use its 20 mm M61A2 Vulcan rotary cannon to shoot down the balloon, which is still 7,000 feet (2.1 km) above it!

In case you are wondering – the M61A2 Vulcan has an effective range of only 2,000 feet (600 metres). So a missile was necessary to bring down the Chinese spy balloon, and the AIM-9X was the right tool for the job.

Interestingly, the FRANK callsign may be a reference to World War I Medal of Honor recipient First Lieutenant Frank Luke Jr., who is known as the “Arizona Balloon Buster” for shooting down 14 German balloons, as well as four planes.

Fact #5 : China Breaks International Law With Spy Balloon Overflights

It is ludicrous for anyone to claim that China can keep sending “cheap” spy balloons to trigger the Americans, as every country has “complete and exclusive sovereignty over the airspace above its territory” under international law.

Such acts are therefore violations of international law, and infringements of the sovereignty of the countries that these spy balloons overfly.

That’s why Chinese government keeps claiming that these spy balloons are civilian craft. That is also why the US government has the right to shoot down the spy balloon without asking China for permission.

Read more : Did US Paint Chinese Balloon Kill On F-22 Fighter Jet?!

Fact #6 : Every Fallen Balloon Is An Intelligence Bonanza

In the United States, Republicans are complaining that President Joe Biden was weak in allowing the Chinese spy balloon to fly off the coast of South Carolina before shooting it down on Saturday afternoon, February 4, 2023.

What they don’t tell the people is that President Joe Biden asked the US Air Force to shoot down the spy balloon as soon as it was safe to do so.

On top of that, the US military wanted to retrieve the spy balloon to examine its payload, and the best way to keep the payload intact would be to bring down the balloon over shallow water, instead of land.

In accordance with the President’s direction, the military brought down the balloon within sovereign U.S. airspace and over U.S. territorial waters to protect civilians while maximizing our ability to recover the payload.

On Monday, February 6, 2023, the first parts of the Chinese spy balloon arrived at the FBI headquarters in Quantico, Virginia, for further analysis.

Depending on what they recover, it may be possible to determine what these spy balloons are capable of, what it recorded, and who manufactured its components. The Americans may possibly gain insights into hitherto unknown Chinese technologies.

Instead of mocking the Americans for shooting down a “cheap” spy balloon, perhaps the Chinese 50 Cent Army (wumao, 五毛) and pro-CCP netizens should worry about what the Americans might find….

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

 

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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Did US Air Force Pilots Resign Over Vaccine Mandate?

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Did US Air Force pilots and bomber crews resign and walk off their jobs over the COVID-19 vaccine mandate?

Take a look at the viral video and article, and find out what the FACTS really are!

 

Claim : US Air Force Pilots Resigned Over Vaccine Mandate!

A video by a bodybuilder called Justin Y. O’Donnell, and an article by Real Raw News have gone viral on social media, claiming that US Air Force pilots and bomber crews walked off their jobs over the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

In his video, Justin claimed that “my dad just let me know” that the Secretary of Defense sent a text message at night to all active members of the military, threatening them with a court martial if they did not get a COVID-19 vaccination by 10 AM in the morning.

The Real Raw News article is very long, so just skip to the next section for the FACTS and the video!

Twenty-seven active-duty U.S. Air Force pilots have resigned their commissions over the unconstitutionality of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s mandate requiring all Armed Forces members to at once receive a Covid-19 vaccination, Real Raw News has learned.

The exodus began on August 27, with 12 pilots from the 1st Fighter Wing at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, submitting to their commanding officer letters of resignation only hours after they received a 4:00 a.m. text message instructing them to submit to mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations by 10:00 a.m. that same day. It’s unknown whether the pilots collaborated ahead of resigning, but all 12 resignations were handed in within a 90-minute period.

One officer, a 29-year-old F-22 Raptor pilot, said of the situation, “We undergo routine physicals and must meet rigorous fitness standards to stay on flight duty. I think it’s safe to say all Air Force pilots are in good physical condition. We must be to endure extreme G-force stress on our body. There is no reason we should be at risk of Covid-19 or becoming sick from it. I know I’m not alone in rejecting this potentially dangerous and soundly untested shot.”

Pilots at other airbases apparently joined him in solidarity.

A day later, 15 pilots of the 2nd Bomb Wing in Barksdale, Louisiana tendered letters of resignation after they, too, received orders to get the jab. The orders stated explicitly that any officer refusing a Covid-19 vaccination would lose his flight status and be subject to disciplinary action, including a potential dishonorable discharge from the service.

A pilot with the 2nd Bomb Wing told RRN that he and his fellow pilots marched into their commanding officer’s office and dropped the resignation letters on his desk. He added that airmen and maintenance crews—enlisted persons who cannot simply resign from the service—are also furious about the mandatory vaccination requirement. Several of them, he told RRN, have sent hardship letters asking for early dismissal from the Air Force, mainly because they don’t have faith in a vaccine that has killed thousands of healthy people, military and civilians alike.

“This is only the beginning. A lot more of us will be turning in our wings,” he said.

RRN will provide additional details on this topic as it develops.

Click to read more...

 

Truth : US Air Force Pilots Did NOT Quit Over Vaccine Mandate!

The truth is the whole story is fake news created by Real Raw News – a known fake news website, and here are the FACTS…

Fact #1 : Viral Video Was Based On Fake News

In his viral video monologue, Justin Y. O’Donnell claimed that his father told him the Secretary of Defense sent out that text message.

The truth is – the story was created by the notorious fake news website called Real Raw News.

We just don’t know whether Justin’s father told him the fake story, or he made that part up to make it sound more believable.

Fact #2 : Real Raw News Is A Fake News Website

Real Raw News is a known fake news website, that capitalises on making shocking but fake stories to generate page views and money.

The entire article – including the F-22 Raptor pilot quote – is FAKE.

To protect himself from legal repercussions, the owner and writer, Michael Baxter, claims that his articles are “humour, parody, and satire“.

This disclaimer lets him keep creating fake news that will go viral, and generate him money.

His articles have been regularly debunked as fake news, so you should NEVER share anything from his website.

Read more : Did US Marine Corp Reject Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination?

Fact #3 : USAF Announced Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination

The US Air Force announced mandatory COVID-19 vaccination on 3 September 2021, which required all Airmen and Guardians to be FULLY-VACCINATED against COVID-19 by :

  • Active duty personnel : November 2, 2021
  • Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve personnel : December 2, 2021

There was no need for a force-wide text message because the notice was officially issued earlier.

Fact #4 : Secretary Of Defense Did Not Send Any Text Message

Defense Department spokesman, Charlie Dietz, confirmed that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin never sent a text message to all active members of the military.

It is also not logical for him to only give active military personnel all over the world only a few hours to get vaccinated.

Fact #5 : You Cannot Just Quit The US Air Force

Whether you are on Active Duty, or in the Reserves or Air National Guard service, you cannot just quit and walk away from the US Air Force.

Literally walking off the job is considered going AWOL (Absence Without Leave) – a court martial offence under Article 86 of the US Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Fact #6 : No F-22 Pilot Quit Over COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

A spokesperson for Joint Base Langley-Eustis confirmed to Reuters that :

“To date, no pilots from the 1st Fighter Wing have resigned their commission due to the COVID-19 vaccination mandate”.

Fact #7 : No B-52 Crew Member Quit Over COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

A spokesperson for Barksdale Air Force Base told Reuters that the viral story was “completely false“.

Now that you know the truth, SHARE this fact check with your family and friends, so they won’t get fooled by it!

And remember – NEVER SHARE ANYTHING from Real Raw News!

 

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer /  PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

 

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If you like our work, you can help support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!