Another "not a spy balloon" is floating over our country.

[actaeon277]

I think the old WW2 120mm AA gun could shoot up to 80K, maybe somebody should make a modern copy. Nothing new about that tech, it's been around for a while. Got to be cheaper than rockets.

Except, we have a supply of missiles and airplanes.
How much is it gonna cost for someone to handmake that gun?
And then you'd have to transport it where it's needed.

 

[snapping turtle]

It is a "baroon" gas trapped inside makes it lighter than air. Enough holes for gas to escape and it would become lighter than air. Do it perfectly and it would float down gently to earth.

 

[Twangbanger]

Drone ops? Not at that altitude. Thats above airliner altitudes, far above what an amateur drone could reach.

The theory is to fire a laser at the balloon to poke a hole in it to make it leak and descend rapidly. But the hole can only be created if the skin is dark enough to absorb the light and get hot enough to burn through. If its white or reflective, the laser cant poke a hole.
I'm sure the pentagon created a laser bright enough to do it, but as others have said, do they want to admit they have it? And even if they did, would it be a small enough diameter to poke a hole so the envelope could act like a drag chute to allow us to recover the payload?

I think the theory would be, that the thing hanging under the balloon (at least the last one) looks like it would absorb laser energy just fine. Here's your smoking hulk back. Only, "Don't worry, we neutered it and made it harmless" isn't a good sell.

 

[MRockwell]

 

[oze]

View attachment 337481

Yes. Neun und neunzig of them!