Aren't there any Freepers left who understand military subjects?
1. A Sidewinder is a heat-seeking missile: it guides on the heat signature of a jet engine's exhaust. Balloons don't have a jet engine. What in hades was a sidewinder supposed to guide on?
2. Sidewinders are expensive, cannon shells aren't. Gunning the balloon would've been extremely simple and cheap.
WTF?
Evidently the sidewinder can use some other type of navigation to hit the balloon because it worked
Actually, the AIM-9X has Lock-On-After-Launch capabilities. Such systems normally rely on cuing from a helmet mounted sight or onboard sensors like radar or forward-looking infrared (FLIR). So, the AIM-9X can be guided by the pilot by him simply looking at the target. This is probably why the F22 kept moving toward the target after launch of the missile...instead of veering off. Just a supposition.