HiRes images floating around show it did, but since balloon had no fuel there was no fireball. Just a lot of debris which also deflated the balloon.
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So is this the very first hostile air-to-air kill for an F-22?
Probably.
They could have tried an F-35 but the aircraft would have probably malfunctioned or been unable to exceed 30,000ft because it’s a turd.
Yup. $70B program, $250M plane (18 years since entered service), $500K missile, and it can kill an unmanned, unarmed, barely moving balloon. Pilot never would have lived it down if he missed.
Also most likely highest altitude engagement with AA missile. AIM-9X was also outside its envelope.
Oh I'll guaran-damn-tee you there will be no info to find on it. I am confident the ChiComs had any info they gleaned bounced up to a satellite and then on to Beijing, i.e. the barroon was merely an object to gather and then immediately send data, not storing any of it. A "bounce" platform if you will.
Redbull needs to keep a balloon and one of their stunt guys on standby to get above the next one and slice it on the way down.
The tin foil hat of mine has me thinking this was a trial run for a future high altitude bio weapon delivery system. Let's face it, there was no new Intel to be had since they already know where all of our missiles and other important things are just like we know where theirs are. Now imagine being able to drop some type of bio weapon or virus from altitude to be dispersed over a large area.
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Actually buy the response to the Chinese have given about the idea of international norms and movement, I almost think that they’re going to try to use this as a reason for going after our ships and curtailing the right of free passage. Really just an outside chance, since they benefit more from the freedom of navigation, then probably anyone else. If we shut down the ceilings around Singapore, China would starve.
Even the Chinese are sophisticated enough to remote burn a drive once all the data has been sent to cloud.
If that really was the plan of the administration, it was a f'ing retarded one.
There was one correct move, drop the damn thing in the pacific and confirm it was a data collection device.