syscom3
Pacific Historian
F16's, F15's and F22's all have the ability to get up to 60K and launch a missile.
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Not much you can use to bring it down, other than an ASAT or maybe an AC-130's 105 mm canon.
The balloon's payload has enough RCS to be seen.The problem the Air Force faced, was several, actually.
First, shooting down the balloon meant that the array, which was the equivellent of three school busses, would be tumbling out of control for about 11 miles to earth with no predictable point of impact.
Next, trying to shoot a missile at the balloon, which has next to no RCS, would be complicated, most likely the missile(s) would pass through and continue on until falling to earth - again, with no idea of where the missile(s) would end up.
Last, trying to make a gun run with 20mm cannon would be difficult, too, since the balloon would offer no resistance to the shells and now you have a rain of 20mm cannon shells falling to earth while the balloon (which is of substantial size) slowly deflates. It could take days for enough helium to vent enough to bring it to earth.
I don't know if they considered hitting it with flares, which would be tricky enough, but would certainly damage the balloon's material enough to bring it down much faster than cannon rounds.
So they waited until it had passed out to sea before taking it down. Missiles would make the biggest holes and they'll fall into the ocean without putting people at risk.
So, what does a rogue weather balloon do, exactly?The RCAF shot down a rogue weather balloon over New Foundland a few years back.
Starts fights and won't pay their bar tab...So, what does a rogue weather balloon do, exactly?
That's what I was afraid of.Starts fights and won't pay their bar tab...
The problem the Air Force faced, was several, actually.
First, shooting down the balloon meant that the array, which was the equivellent of three school busses, would be tumbling out of control for about 11 miles to earth with no predictable point of impact.
Next, trying to shoot a missile at the balloon, which has next to no RCS, would be complicated, most likely the missile(s) would pass through and continue on until falling to earth - again, with no idea of where the missile(s) would end up.
Last, trying to make a gun run with 20mm cannon would be difficult, too, since the balloon would offer no resistance to the shells and now you have a rain of 20mm cannon shells falling to earth while the balloon (which is of substantial size) slowly deflates. It could take days for enough helium to vent enough to bring it to earth.
I don't know if they considered hitting it with flares, which would be tricky enough, but would certainly damage the balloon's material enough to bring it down much faster than cannon rounds.
So they waited until it had passed out to sea before taking it down. Missiles would make the biggest holes and they'll fall into the ocean without putting people at risk.
Will the crew chief of the F16 that fired the missile that took down the balloon, be authorized to paint a balloon kill on the jet? LOL
Balloon popping was considered very dangerous in the first world war.It makes me wonder when the last kill scored against a balloon was in military annals.
The RCAF shot down a rogue weather balloon over New Foundland a few years back.
Balloon popping was considered very dangerous in the first world war.