Bullshit. It is a very slow moving target. It is ridiculous to assume nobody in the DoD every considered that balloons could threaten the USA, and therefore never developed a weapon that could do anything to them.
It only sounds stupid to the ignorant. To those of us who worked in the weapons industry, this is a difficult problem. As the article points out, such intercepts have been tried before and failed completely.
Not bullshit. You should read the article. Balloon intercepts have been attempted in the past, completely failing. It's like trying to shoot down a fog bank. Even being profusely punctured does not impair the balloon's buoyancy by much.
It is ridiculous for you to assume that the DoD has time, attention, resources, and funding to do everything imaginable.
And where would they go? How can you target anything with a balloon? The Japanese tried to do this in World War II and it was a colossal failure. So, do you learn from history---or put history aside and engage in flights of fancy?
Solar panels + lithium batteries + propulsion + precise weather data = balloons can be directed. Payload could be virus, dirty bomb, spy equipment.
It is a very low cost asymmetric warfare technique. It would cost 50x more for us to launch warplanes and shoot it down that it cost to build and deploy the balloon.
Bullshit. It is a very slow moving target. It is ridiculous to assume nobody in the DoD every considered that balloons could threaten the USA, and therefore never developed a weapon that could do anything to them.
It is. This is how propaganda works. The more stupider it sounds. the more desperate they are.
It only sounds stupid to the ignorant. To those of us who worked in the weapons industry, this is a difficult problem. As the article points out, such intercepts have been tried before and failed completely.
I would bet this assertion is as equally relevant as your previous assertion of working in airborne surveillance ;)
Both are true, weapons and surveillance. I am a man of many flavors. Your bet would lose.
If there was a bounty on it I betcha some country folks would have had it on the ground snapping selfies..
Those boys at Duck Dynasty would be able to take it down.
Not bullshit. You should read the article. Balloon intercepts have been attempted in the past, completely failing. It's like trying to shoot down a fog bank. Even being profusely punctured does not impair the balloon's buoyancy by much.
It is ridiculous for you to assume that the DoD has time, attention, resources, and funding to do everything imaginable.
How bout shoot a flare into it and ignite the gasses or burn the material?
Can't "ignite" helium. At high altitude there is probably not enough oxygen to combust the plastic membrane of the envelope.
<flips table>
The balloon was at 60,000 feet.
It is ridiculous to believe that our military has never considered that we could be attacked via balloon.
North Korea could launch 1000 balloons from a freighter off our coast.
And where would they go? How can you target anything with a balloon? The Japanese tried to do this in World War II and it was a colossal failure. So, do you learn from history---or put history aside and engage in flights of fancy?
Solar panels + lithium batteries + propulsion + precise weather data = balloons can be directed. Payload could be virus, dirty bomb, spy equipment.
It is a very low cost asymmetric warfare technique. It would cost 50x more for us to launch warplanes and shoot it down that it cost to build and deploy the balloon.