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You could but confirming US has that capability is significant. The purpose is to gather intelligence after all. E: Lunar ranging = ground stations. Not feasib
by dirtyid 4y ago
You could but confirming US has that capability is significant. The purpose is to gather intelligence after all.
E: Lunar ranging = ground stations. Not feasible to cover CONUS with network of ground based laser for forseeable future. If anything, balloons will try to bait responses from SHiELD/air based laser ABL interception (YAL1) that can be extrapolated to IndoPac theatre.
- jjtheblunt 4y agoConsidering the lunar ranging experiment of fifty years ago, it seems like it shouldn’t be some big surprise? https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Laser_Ranging_experiment#/media/File%3AGoddard_Spaceflight_Center_Laser_Ranging_Facility.jpg https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Laser_Ranging_experime...
- CameronNemo 4y agoNot feasible to cover CONUS with network of ground based laser for forseeable future. It is also not feasible to keep using million dollar missiles to shoot down thousand dollar balloons. I kind of doubt that the planes are cheaper than ground based lasers. Even so, a mobile ground station could avoid giving away the US position and allow them to cover more area. Not sure how feasible that is.
- dirtyid 4y agoEven if eventually technically feasible, imo it will take multi decades to acquire finish program and acqure platforms in sufficient numbers. Missiles feasible short term because there's airframes and stockpiles. It's a function of what's available. I think PRC can mass weaponize balloons to drope guided munitions much sooner than US can build up economic counter measures. Silly as meme is, balloon gap might eventually be real.