Last count it was 19K, any fighter could shred that POS with 20mm. Almost 1 inch hole through and through. More like a yard on each side. 20 degree dive angle, the cone of fire on the ground would be easy to calculate. No danger when it was in MT or WY. Wholly owned process by ChiCom/DS with the Biden crime family.
I read and article earlier, didn’t save, but someone tried that and put a thousand rounds into it and it still took 4 days to come down. The balloon is not reflective, so it’s hard to paint with radar. The balloon is also the same temperature of the surrounding air. It’s tough for a missile to target it with heat seekers.
It’s actually a pretty good spy platform. Some of these balloons fly at 120K feet. No airplane can get there. The one shot down today was at about the limits of the F-22’s ceiling. It’s a lot cheaper than a satellite and you don’t have to worry about geosynchronous outages. AI can detect air temperatures within thousands of feet and “guide” the balloon by ascending or descending rather than actual propulsion.
@Electionwiz 3h
PENTAGON: F-22 from Langley Air Force Base fired one AIM-9X Missile at around 58,000 ft which hit the Chinese spy balloon flying at 65,000 ft. Balloon fell into coastal waters. Recovery ongoing.
https://truthsocial.com/@Electionwiz/posts/109808482308266742