[bitt]

H/T srmanuel

[Yo-Yo]

Watched this last night from Ward.

AIM-9X looks like it hit the gondola payload, not the balloon envelope.

Which means there probably won't be much of value to find in the ocean off the coast.

[Da Coyote]

Boy, I retired before the Raptor was in service, but I’d have killed to be the pilot for that mission. I’d put a balloon on my flight suit sleeve. No one could match that! ;-)

[DesertRhino]

Is this the Babylon bee? Are they going to make this into a episode of “dog fights” on history channel, complete with the dramatic music? Did he do a victory roll?

Morons. The pilot is probably in post traumatic stress counseling now.

[Chauncey Gardiner]

By hitting the payload, they destroy the evidence. How convenient for China Joe.

[Doctor Congo]

My synopsis:
- Balloon had propellers for maneuvering
- The US had scrutinized and studied the instrument package thorougly
- Airports at Myrtle Beach, Wilmington and Charleston were closed in first clue that a shoot down was imminent
- F-22s were from Langley AFB in VA
- Call sign ‘Frank’ in honor of Frank Luke Jr who had shot down a bunch of balloons in WW1
- Balloon shot down with AIM-9X Sidewinder (range of 2 miles)
- Claimed missile hit ‘base of balloon’
- F-22 was at 59 kft and balloon was at 60-65 kft
- First A/A kill for an F-22

[rx]

Poor choices:
  1) downing only post-Carolina coast instead of pre-Aleutian Island traversal,
  2) video's repeating nonsensical, unsupported Biden administration claim of similar occurrences during Trump's term. That awaits proof in the face of very credible denials,
  3) Sidewinder instead of laser,
  4) video's not calling out Biden administration nonsensical, claimed delays so as not to fall onto civilians, schools, children, etc. This would have been trivial to avoid.

[Road Warrior ‘04]

I thought the three balloons during Trump has been dispelled yet this guy was matter-of-fact about it? Why did they hit the payload? Why didn’t they shoot it down over sparsely populated Montana?

[NWFree]

“ the first kill by a Raptor in the history of that stealth fighter.”

Sort of like an Abrams taking out a pickup truck

[thinden]

bttt

6 min video

[RossA]

Has anyone wondered how the balloon’s instruments were powered?

I have an idea…hunt: how would NASA power it?

[Candor7]

Biden allowed surveillance of our strategic assets.

When the public found out, Biden was forced to act after the fact.

If I was a Taiwan resident, I would now know that Biden would act only after the fact if an invasion of Taiwan, and in a cursory fashion at that. I would be looking to GTFO of Taiwan...this inaction by Biden proves that Taiwan is going down.Just like he allowed the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
t
JOe Biden is a loser. Americans dislike losers. Biden has no hope at all of winning in 2024 s a result.

Biuden will lkely be booed in his SOTU address tonight.

I won’t even watch the lying ba$tard.His actions confirm that he stole the 2020 election.

[IAGeezer912]

Why wasn’t an AWACs plane used to jam it, to take control of it, and then bring it down intact?

[Sequoyah101]

I’m sure glad we spent all those billions to build and maintain this fantastic airplane to shoot down balloons.

Great planning, great job.

About like shooting rabbits with a howitzer.

I believe the Spad shot down balloons in WWI. Fresh out of those so go for the Raptor.

Wonder what brave pilot drew the straw on that coveted mission to protect our sovereignty after the fact? A lawful order is all that is required no matter how stupid it is.

[logi_cal869]

Alrighty, then.

My (prior) retort

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4128839/posts