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Could just using aircraft guns be easier? I am probably completely wrong, just curious.

• torpfactory 4y ago
  There was a case in the 90s I think of a Canadian weather balloon that they tried to shoot down with (fighter plane) guns and had a pretty tough time of it. Guns at that altitude too could be an issue as you lose control authority in thin air and the gun destabilizes flight controls even more.
• _zzaw 4y ago
  One reason I heard is that guns wouldn't have been that effective on a balloon the size of a football field; mere pinpricks, basically. The balloon would leak, but not nearly fast enough to bring it down in a reasonable amount of time. Unless, of course, they unloaded thousands of rounds into it, which is probably more dangerous and less practical than taking it out of the sky with a missile.
• namrog84 4y ago
  Among other reasons many fighter aircraft have max altitude of 50k to 55k and starts requiring more specialized equipment. And the balloon was at 60k feet. So perhaps they don't want to reveal which aircraft have capabilites beyond their advertised or something like that?
• roncesvalles 4y ago
  The balloon was at a very high altitude (66,000ft). The F-22 launched its missile at 58,000 feet, probably right at the edge of its loaded service ceiling, and the missile travelled rest of the way up. Given the height, I don't think it would've been easy to shoot it down with a cannon.