Chinese balloon advanced, hard to shoot down: US expert

France 24 ^

[FarCenter]

....

Shooting down a balloon is not as easy as it sounds, said Kim.

"These balloons use helium... It's not the Hindenburg, you can't just shoot it and then and then it goes up in flames."

"If you do punch holes in it, it's just kind of going to leak out very slowly."

Kim recalled that in 1998 the Canadian air force sent up F-18 fighter jets to try and shoot down a rogue weather balloon.

"They fired a thousand 20-millimeter cannon rounds into it. And it still took six days before it finally came down. These are not things that explode or pop when you shoot at them."

He said it was not clear if using surface-to-air missiles would work, because their guidance systems are designed to hit fast-moving missiles and aircraft.

[FarCenter]

Although this one is low, possibly due to a malfunction, they would normally float above 100,000 feet, above the ceiling of fighter aircraft and out of reach of gunfire. The Japanese have achieved 53 km (173,000 feet) using ultrathin plastic.

Anti-aircraft missiles may have trouble with guidance, since the balloon doesn't have much of a signature in either infrared or radar frequencies.

[Magnum44]

Good grief, what a bunch of excuse making by our neutered “leadership”...

[Raycpa]

Are we allowed to call it a “Chinese” balloon?

[equaviator]

Capture it.

[abbastanza]

Crooks and idiots.

[Quentin Quarantino]

A barrel of shit, a poor excuse.

[Dr. Sivana]

I wonder if this is the long term goal?

[Flint]

So they are saying the way to attack and destroy the United States is to launch some weather balloons with nuclear bombs attached? That we can’t defend against them?

[ronnie raygun]

This is what protects the American people now, shameful

[Clarancebeaks]

There is no hope for anyone who believes this bullshit.

[CFW]

Why don’t they use some of those weapons that Biden says the government can use on 2nd Amendment supporters?

[iontheball]

Anti-aircraft missiles may have trouble with guidance, since the balloon doesn’t have much of a signature in either infrared or radar frequencies.
___________________________________

What’s wrong with plane old direct fire? Quit making up excuses, launch, and shoot the sucker down.

[joma89]

The slow sword penetrates the shield.

[RoosterRedux]

Or just bags of fentanyl or ricin over cities.

[jeffersondem]

I continue to read that balloons are very difficult to bring down with standard cannon fire and missiles; it might take days for one to deflate I've read.

Maybe balloons are the answer to the Air Force's dilemma with the increasing vulnerable A-10s. Those paid-for aircraft are being retired because they - it is said - are no longer survivable in modern war.

Instead of low and slow, go high and slow - with near impossible to kill attack balloons.

The things we are told.

[allendale]

Biden still thinks the balloons are carrying cash and are headed for Delaware.

[I-ambush]

How about several “Ginshu knife” missiles?

[janetjanet998]

Video: Feb 4, 2023 9am Chinese spy balloon has been spotted over Asheville, NC. It’s moving ESE
https://rumble.com/v28bj72-chinese-spy-balloon-has-been-spotted-over-asheville-nc.html

[unread]

Where's the Nike Hercules when you need one..?

[Purpleperson]

They are sending a message: If you interfere with our invasion of Taiwan, you will see thousands of these balloons
filled with infected bats and rats.