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The missile was locked [Edit: had mistakenly said “guided”] by where the pilot was looking, and guided by IR so that it could hit precisely. Also, this missile

by pohl 4y ago

The missile was locked [Edit: had mistakenly said “guided”] by where the pilot was looking, and guided by IR so that it could hit precisely. Also, this missile had no warhead. They removed it on purpose to limit the damage. They wanted to maximize what they could recover and study. Had the balloon been at an altitude the guns could reach, though, maybe the would have used them.

goodcanadian 4y ago
Apparently, there is already precedent for the guns not being a great choice: The time a wayward Canadian balloon caused an international stir — and thwarted 3 air forces: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/weather-balloon-canada-china-1.6737831 https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/weather-balloon-canada-chin...
mlindner 4y ago
I've seen this incorrect take repeated several places and I'm wondering where it originates. Yes, the missile had a warhead. No, missiles are not guided by where pilots are looking. > Had the balloon been at an altitude the guns could reach, though, maybe the would have used them. The jet was flying at approximately the same altitude of the balloon. The altitude of the balloon was below the max service ceiling of the aircraft.
ceejayoz 4y ago
It was an AIM-9 Sidewinder. They're not sight directed; I think you're confused by the fact that the pilot can generate a lock-on by looking. I can't find any reputable source claiming a removed warhead, and there's a visible detonation (it's not a Michael Bay movie, folks, they don't add gasoline to make a pretty fireball) on the close-up video; that greyish smoke cloud didn't come from the balloon. https://twitter.com/MikeSington/status/1621996717624393728 https://twitter.com/MikeSington/status/1621996717624393728
- euler_angles 4y ago
  Yeah that missile fused. It was a normal AIM-9X. Missile war cranium detonations are underwhelming (there's not that many pounds of explosives involved) because they are trying to kill aircraft via shrapnel of some kind. Two common designs are a continuous rod that expands in a circle around the detonation, or a hashed metal casing that produces hundreds of small fragments.

by pohl 4y ago

goodcanadian 4y ago

Apparently, there is already precedent for the guns not being a great choice: The time a wayward Canadian balloon caused an international stir — and thwarted 3 air forces: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/weather-balloon-canada-china-1.6737831 https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/weather-balloon-canada-chin...

mlindner 4y ago

I've seen this incorrect take repeated several places and I'm wondering where it originates. Yes, the missile had a warhead. No, missiles are not guided by where pilots are looking. > Had the balloon been at an altitude the guns could reach, though, maybe the would have used them. The jet was flying at approximately the same altitude of the balloon. The altitude of the balloon was below the max service ceiling of the aircraft.

ceejayoz 4y ago

It was an AIM-9 Sidewinder. They're not sight directed; I think you're confused by the fact that the pilot can generate a lock-on by looking. I can't find any reputable source claiming a removed warhead, and there's a visible detonation (it's not a Michael Bay movie, folks, they don't add gasoline to make a pretty fireball) on the close-up video; that greyish smoke cloud didn't come from the balloon. https://twitter.com/MikeSington/status/1621996717624393728 https://twitter.com/MikeSington/status/1621996717624393728

euler_angles 4y ago
Yeah that missile fused. It was a normal AIM-9X. Missile war cranium detonations are underwhelming (there's not that many pounds of explosives involved) because they are trying to kill aircraft via shrapnel of some kind. Two common designs are a continuous rod that expands in a circle around the detonation, or a hashed metal casing that produces hundreds of small fragments.