Shoot it down. Straight forward problem. Straight forward simple solution.
Yes and there is no chance, none at all, that the Chinese would have more of these
1. What if we try and fail or miss?
2. It’s full of helium, won’t explode.
3. Poking small holes with bullets will make slow leaks but not instant collapse
4. Can it repair leaks or keep flying with them?
5. What countermeasures does it have?
6. What’s in the payload and what happens if it comes down in a populated area?
7. If we wait til it’s over the ocean why even bother shooting it down?
8. Especially if the payload is lost and we learn nothing about it?
Maybe not as simple as you think.
“Shoot it down. Straight forward problem. Straight forward simple solution.”
It’s a little late. It’s at the coast and already did it’s work and transmitted it home. But maybe we can steal some of their tech by deflating the balloon and picking up the equipment. We probably need their tech since we mainly worry about pronouns and where to fly or not fly which flag these days.